


Along Came Winter

by Fall_Maiden



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), Post-Volume 4 (RWBY), snowbird
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 17:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 31,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11696646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fall_Maiden/pseuds/Fall_Maiden
Summary: Qrow Branwen is a tall, avian and drunk hunter from Vale. His life is going nowhere until he meets Winter Schnee, a white-haired, young woman with a passion for perfection.Qrow takes an instant disliking to Winter and the cold and stern ways she learnt during her years in Atlas. However, when a another unforeseen enemy tries to attack Qrow, Winter springs to the rescue. Qrow begins to notices that Winter is actually rather warm at heart.But, the pressures of Winter's job as a military specialist leave her blind to Qrow's affections and Qrow takes up more drinking to try an distract himself.Finally, when disapproving head of the Schnee Dust Company, Jacques Schnee, threatens to come between them, Winter has to act fast. Everything has hidden secrets, but will they ever find the snowbird love that they deserve?





	1. The First Meeting

“Why do I have to do this?” An avian hunter asked his fellow co-worker, whom he generally despised.        

     “I've told you this a thousand times, Qrow, and I’ll say it again-There’s no one else that I know who isn’t booked with something important to do right now!” A voice responded from the other end of the scroll.           

  “Oh, and since when isn’t what I’m doing right now important?” Qrow asked in distaste.            

“Qrow, I’m very certain that being at a bar isn’t as important as meeting with The Council!” The voice responded back.            

“Sure it isn’t, James!” Qrow chuckled.            

“So, what is it I’m doing again?” He added. Ironwood groaned audibly before replying

“You have to meet with Winter Schnee-”

“As in the Schnee Dust Company? Seriously, James?!” Qrow exclaimed.

Ignoring the interruption, Ironwood continued “Let’s see… I already told her where you’d be, so, aside from asking a few questions, she shouldn’t have any trouble finding you.”

“So, after I meet with her, what am I supposed to do?” Qrow asked with clear irritation in his voice.

“You could show her around, for one. ….. I have to go, Qrow! I’ll talk with you later!” Ironwood said, hanging up the scroll.

Hearing the dial tone, Qrow shook his head. “And you wonder why we don’t get along….” He muttered, drinking the last bit of alcohol that was in his glass.

“Another glass, sir?” The bartender asked him, walking by.

“Yah.” Qrow replied.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll need more money for that! And you still have to pay us back for the last time you were here!” The bartender replied firmly.

In response, Qrow shrugged. As he reached into his pocket, a voice from behind stopped him from doing so.

“Are you Qrow Branwen?” The voice said softly. “Yah, I am. Why?” Qrow replied, not moving. “I’ll pay for his bills, sir.” The voice replied, its owner handing the bartender a card. “Thank you, miss.” The bartender said, handing the card back to her after swiping it.

Qrow turned around to see a young woman with white hair standing before him.

“Hello. I’m Winter Schnee. It’s nice to meet you.” Winter introduced herself sternly, holding at her hand. Qrow glanced at Winter and then at her hand. He brushed it away, saying “Listen, Winter, let’s get something straight here-don’t think I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart, or whatever! I’m only doing this-”

“-Because General Ironwood requested you to do so, I know.” She said, cutting him off with a sigh.

“Is this seat taken?” She asked him quickly, gesturing the seat to her left.

“I don’t know-does it look taken to you?” Qrow smirked.

Winter rolled her eyes in response, quickly sitting down. “So, Winter, why are you here?” Qrow asked her, the smirk still on his face.

“I could ask you the same question!” She smirked back.

“Heh. Right.” He chuckled.

“If you must know, I’m here because I’m going to become a military specialist for Atlas!” She said with pride.

“There’s one major flaw in your plan, Schnee.” Qrow commented.

“Really? What is that, Branwen?” Winter inquired, puzzled.

“In order to do that, you have to be in the military first!” He smirked.

“I am!” Winter protested.

“Oh, really? Because I don’t think that you can go off running your little dust company while-” Qrow smirked.

“I’m not!” She told him firmly, cutting him off.

“Is that so?” He asked.

“Qrow-” Winter began heatedly, but he cut her off.

He asked “Then who’s gonna run the company?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. Maybe my sister. I hope it never ends up in the hands of my brother!” She answered, her voice becoming venomous at the very memory of her male sibling.

“Why not?” Qrow asked, genuinely curious.

“I’d rather not talk about him!” Winter spat.

“Alright, then. Your call.”

Qrow replied before taking a long swig of his drink. She gave him a glare, but he brushed it off. “Qrow, what’s our agenda for the evening?” Winter asked him curiously.

“Not entirely sure. As far as I know, I was supposed to meet you and show you around. After that…I don’t know.” He answered pausing to take another sip.

Winter shook her head at him, causing to him say “What, am I bothering you or something?”

“Yes, you are!” Winter grumbled.

“Then cool down and have a drink. You’ve certainly got the money to spare!” Qrow told her, downing the last of his alcohol.

“For now, I do!” She grumbled.

“Oh no, little miss Ice Queen is running out of money! Stop the presses! Her life is in danger!” He mocked her.

 “Shut up, Qrow!” She told him firmly.

“Make me.” He taunted with a smirk.

With that, she grabbed the sword at her side, bringing it up to be placed right in front of Qrow’s throat.

“Ooh, I’m so scared!” He chuckled.

He quickly stepped back and stood up, swinging his sword from around his back, allowing it to clash with Winter’s.

“Let’s see how well you fight drunk!” She smirked.

“You’d be surprised!” He chuckled.

“Stop!” The bartender yelled at the two. “Why should we?” Qrow asked him.

“There have been too many replacements of furniture and glassware lately!” The bartender yelled back.

“So?” Qrow replied with a shrug.  Winter sighed, shaking her head.

“Sorry about that. We’ll leave now.” She apologized, placing one sword into the compartment of the other, and the remaining sword on the hilt of her waist.

“Thank you, miss!” The bartender sighed with relief.

“Hold on a sec, Winter! What makes you think that you can call the shots?” Qrow asked her in irritation.

She smirked “If anyone’s calling the shots, they should at least be sober!” She then made her way to the entryway of the bar.

“You can’t get around here without me!” Qrow reminded her, placing his weapon back. Winter sighed, turning to look at him.          

   “I don’t care! I’ll find my way myself! I don’t need your assistance!” She told him firmly.       

      “So, Ice Queen-” Qrow began, but she cut him off.           

  “Don’t call me that!” She snapped.     

        “-If you don’t need my help, don’t complain if you can’t get back to Atlas! In case you don’t know this already, not everyone is willing to help you!” He finished, walking up to her.       

      She glared, her hand now placed on the hilt of her sword.           

  “Fine! Lead the way!” She grumbled, turning away from him and folding her arms.           

  Qrow smirked and did so, walking down the cobblestone street to their right.            

Winter followed him, muttering angrily.

            The brightness of the moon and the darkness of the night silhouetted the two as they walked down that street together-even in an array of overconfidence and sheer discontent.


	2. The Second Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next meeting, another fight, after the courtyard fight.

The elevator reached the top floor with ding as Glynda, Qrow, and Ozpin reached the top floor of Beacon's tower. As the elevator opened, Glynda had her folded arms in pure irritation, Ozpin had his hands placed on-top of his cane, and Qrow smirked, having his hand in his pockets.

         _"What were you thinking?!"_  Winter yelled at Qrow.

The three soon filed out of the elevator, taking their respective places to form a circle in front of Ozpin's desk-except for Ozpin, who'd taken a seat at it-.

         "Well I wouldn't  _condone_  his behavior, retaliating like _you_ did _certainly_ wouldn't have helped the situation!" Glynda told Qrow.

 "We had _reason_ to assume you'd been _compromised_." Winter told him.

        "And I have _reason_ to assume that  _you_  don't need to be here! _Seriously, who_ invited _her?_ " Qrow fired back, pointing at her as he looked at the others in the room.

        "Schnee, we'll discuss this back on my ship." General Ironwood told her.

        "But sir-" Winter exclaimed, worry and disbelief written all over her face.

        "Winter. Leave." General Ironwood told her firmly, cutting her off.

        "Yes sir!" Winter replied, saluting him firmly and without hesitance.

         As Winter walked to the elevator, she came face to face with Qrow.

        She slowed down her walking speed, glaring at him with pure anger and malice.

        In response, he winked at her.

        Then, Winter snapped.

        She immediately swung her left first at Qrow with an angry yell.

        "Winter!  _Stop!_ " General Ironwood ordered her from a distance.

        Qrow smirked at Winter, stepping to his left to dodge her blow.

        Due to the momentum she'd created, Winter had spun herself around. She gasped as she fell backwards, closing her eyes tightly as she waited to feel the cold, harsh impact of the floor.

        But it never came.

        She opened her eyes. They soon widened as she realized that Qrow had caught her, his warm arms wrapped around her back. She blushed slightly, noticing the close proximity of their faces. The blush quickly diminished as she glared at him.

        Qrow noticed this and smirked, saying "Hey, Ice Queen?"

        "Y-Yes?" She replied as her glare softened.

        His smirk grew as he moved their faces closer, saying "The next time you try to punch me, make sure you can stand on your own two feet!"

        Winter's glare immediately deepened, but halted as she noticed Qrow's face turn from a smirk to a serious frown. She eyed him, curious yet cautious.  She hardly had time to think and decide what to do next as she felt a warm pair of lips brush against her icy ones. She blushed, closing her eyes for few seconds, brushing her lips back against his. Qrow pulled back, smiling as he opened his eyes. Winter opened her eyes, a light blush on her cheeks as she stared at him, shocked.

        "Qrow..." She said softly, staring into his eyes.

        He chuckled softly, slowly unwrapping his arms from around her back.

        She gasped as she fell back, hitting the floor.

        "Ouch..... _Qrow_...." She groaned in irritance.

        "Why don't you try and punch me  _properly_  this time?" He smirked, placing a hand on his hip and bending down to taunt her.

        Winter quickly sprang to her feet, throwing a punch with her right hand. Qrow dodged it, laughing as he caught her hand and pushed her back. She smirked, sweeping him by his feet, causing him to hit the floor. He groaned as she stepped closer.

        "Maybe  _this_  will teach you a lesson!" Winter smirked as she opened both of her hands twice, summoning four beowolves.

        " _Winter, STOP!_ " General Ironwood demanded.

        " _That_  is _enough_ you two!" Glynda chimed in angrily.

        Winter stepped back, allowing her summoned grimm to encircle Qrow.

        "There's PLENTY more where THAT came from, Qrow!" She told him, her smirk growing.

        Qrow quickly got to his feet, pulling his sword out from behind his back, immediately slicing one of Winter's beowolves in half. Winter quickly summoned another beowolf to take its place as the other three began to roar and swing at Qrow. He ducked a large majority of the hits, only taking a few hits due to his misfortune of Winter controlling his attackers. After Qrow destroyed the last and final beowolf, he turned to Winter, glaring deeply.

        He turned his sword into a scythe, charging at her. She grabbed the sword at her hilt, quickly turning it into two swords, getting ready to block his attack.

        Ironwood quickly fired his pistol between Qrow and Winter, causing the two to stop in their tracks.

        "What the  _heck, James_!" Qrow exclaimed in anger.

        Glynda quickly cast a spell with her wand, causing wind to ripple throughout the room, sending Winter and Qrow flying up into the air and on the opposite sides of the room. They immediately lost their weapons.

        "Silence!" Glynda yelled, quieting the air, but keeping the pressure on Qrow and Winter, keeping the force that pinned them to the wall.

        "Winter, I am  _ashamed_  of you!" General Ironwood scolded her.

        Winter gasped, sighing in regret and shame.

        "I-I'm sorry, General Ironwood, I-" Winter began, but didn't get to finish as he cut her off.

        "Instead of discussing  _this_  back on my ship, I suppose that we'll have to discuss  _this now_!" He frowned at her.

        Winter was silent, looking down at the ground.

        Glynda added angrily "And  _don't_  forget that _our_  voices  _matter_  as _well!_ When  _we_  suggest that you  _stop_ , the  _both_  of you  _need_  to _listen_ to _us!_ I am  _done_  with cleaning up messes today! _Look_  at  _what_  the _two_ of you have  _done_ to this room!"

        Qrow and Winter looked down to see that there were cracks in the floor and wall, as well as the fact that _even_ though the room didn't contain a lot of items, it looked like a brawl had ensued.

        "If you ask me-" Qrow began with a chuckle.

        "-Which we  _weren't_ -" the General interrupted him.

        Qrow continued with a smirk "I think it's a _bit_ of an improvement!"

        "Listen _here_ and listen _closely_ , you two! If I agree to let you down, you  _will stop_ this _calamity_   ** _at once_**! Am I understood?" Glynda told them, glaring.

        "Heh.... _sure..."_  Qrow smirked, shrugging his shoulders.

        Afterwards, there was silence.

        "Winter?" General Ironwood said to get Winter's attention after she hadn't responded for a short while.

        "Yes, sir, I am in agreement." she said softly.

        " _Good._  I  _hope_  I _won't_  have to repeat myself!" Glynda grumbled as she moved her wand, decreasing the force that held Qrow and Winter to the wall, allowing them to drop down from up high to the floor and grab their weapons accordingly, to which they did so.

        "I'll go now, sir." Winter said quietly to the General, hurrying over to the elevator.

        "Hold on a second, Winter." He told her sternly, causing her to flinch.

        Winter turned back around, visibly nervous with tension riddling throughout her body.

        "Since you'd rather not follow instructions and cause a disruption, I believe that you should  _stay_  for a while! Don't you, Winter? I suppose that I shall have to discipline you _here_ as well!" General Ironwood told her, Winter looking to the ground.

        "Winter, I  _know_  that Qrow can get to you, but  _what_  have we talked about?! Not _just_  in _regards_ to _Qrow ,_ but in regards to others that may cause you to get into a heated argument!" Ironwood groaned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

        "Not to let my anger overwhelm me and make my decisions primarily an impulse, sir!" Winter replied with a sigh.

        "Heh,  _that's_  what you told her, James?  _Seriously?"_  Qrow chuckled.

        "I don't know if  _you_  have room to talk, Qrow, considering that your impulsive tendencies lead to _this and _the courtyard's destruction earlier!" Ironwood told him.

        "And  _you haven't_ allowed your anger to control your emotions before, James?" Qrow replied with a frown.

        " _This_  is  _different_ ,  _Qrow!_ " General Ironwood argued, stepping closer.

        " _Sure_ , James, it  _always_  is,  _isn't_ it?"Qrow fired back, crossing his arms in-front of him.

        "Now, now,  _enough_  with that,  _please_!" Ozpin sighed, lifting his head from his hands.

        "Qrow, let's just get on with our _earlier_  conversation,  _please!_ " He added, looking at Qrow.

        "I guess I  _don't_  need to be here, so....  _I'll_ just be going now..." Winter sighed, making her way to the elevator.

        She slowed down as she made eye contact with Qrow.

        Her eyes were saddened and hurt. His were consoling and concerned.

        "I'll see you later, Winter." Qrow told her quietly as she stepped closer.

        Winter shook her head, quickly looking to the ground with a sigh.

        Qrow took his hand and placed it beneath Winter's chin, bringing her face up to meet his.

        After a few seconds, the tension in her body diminished. She blushed as he quickly broke the kiss.

        "Thank you, Qrow." Winter whispered to him.

        "Y'know what, Qrow? I think I that you  _may_  be  _accurate_  on that!" She smirked at him, softly to which he smirked back.

        Winter then boarded the elevator, becoming stern-faced once again.

        Qrow smirked at her until the elevator doors closed, causing him to turn back around and walk towards Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin.

        Qrow was met with stares and silence.

        "What?" He asked, soon after taking a swig from his flask.

        "Nothing, Qrow...." Ozpin sighed.

        "So, about our enemies..." Qrow began, drawing everyone's attention back to their original conversation as the elevator dinged below them, touching the first floor of the edifice.

Shortly after, Winter exited the elevator as, above her, Qrow, Glynda, Ozpin, and Ironwood decided their next phase of motion against their adversaries-one, whom oft which, the General may be closer to than (initially) perceived!


	3. Mistral Meeting and a Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Volume 4

"Mistral. Not as cold as Atlas, but more of a convenience of the merging oft different ideas and peoples from all around and over Remnant.  _Even_  though Mistral gets a bad reputation, it's not a _terrible_  placed to be stationed." Winter said to herself.

She was now adorning new clothes due to the battles she'd had to face.

Not  _only_  the with grimm, but with others that she worked with and that she had no direct correlation with.

She shivered, noticing a building up the cobblestone street up to her left. It had a warmth to it that she couldn't seem to shake from her body, heart, mind, and soul, as well as a warm glow that emitted from its open front entrance.

"A bar.... Of _course!_ " She sighed, standing a few steps away from the entrance.

She could hear a conversation from inside, noting two voices, but couldn't quite tell who the second, younger sounding voice was coming from. The  _first_  one, however, was spot on.

" _Don't_  tell me..." She muttered as she furiously walked into the establishment.

Qrow failed to acknowledge her presence as Oscar's mind flooded with questions about his cane and input from Ozpin.

"Qrow!" Winter snapped, bringing her weapon out if its sheath at her hip.

Oscar turned around, shocked.

"Oh, hey, Ice Queen! Where'd you get the new look?" Qrow greeted her with a smirk.

Winter took her sword and pointed it harshly at his throat.

"Uh, Winter, I...I don't think you should do that!" Oscar stammered.

"Silence! This  _isn't_  about  _you!_ " Winter snapped, turning her head to Oscar.

" _This_  is about  _you_!" Winter snapped once more, placing the tip of her sword closer to Qrow's throat.

"Hey, back up, Ice Queen!" Qrow told her.

Her glare stated otherwise, but something clicked in her head that caused her to do so quickly and step back with a sigh.

"What's gotten into you?" Qrow asked her, concerned.

Winter stayed silent for a moment. Her only response was in another sigh as she gently gripped the hilt of her sword.

"I-I think you two should....stop now!" Oscar advised.

"No thanks, Oz. I've got this!" Qrow reassured him.

"Ozpin?" Winter exclaimed.

"Yah, I've still got questions myself." Qrow admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"So, what're you doing here, Ice Queen?" He added.

"I could ask you the  _same_  question!" Winter growled in response.

Oscar got nervous, talking quietly to Ozpin while Qrow asked "Why are you so fiery at me? I mean-"

"-I'm lucky I got to come here thanks to your immature little stunts!" Winter yelled in his face.

"Oh, you mean the courtyard and the office? James is  _still_  hung up on that?" Qrow chuckled reminiscently.

"Thanks to  _you, I almost **didn't**_  get clearing to be able to go on this mission!" Winter continued, simply furious!

"Hold on a second, Schnee, you  _can't **seriously**_  be blaming this  _whole_  and  _entire_  incident on  _me!_  I mean, I didn't tear up that whole courtyard or room  _myself_ , did I?" Qrow asked, folding his arms.

"No, you  _didn't_ , but... _you **started** **and** **prompted**_  the altercations in the  _first_  place!" Winter replied with an angry sigh.

"Besides, now the General isn't as....trustworthy with me as before... Our conversation on his ship got  _really_  heated when he brought up _..."_  She trailed off, turning away from him.

He took a few steps towards her, raising an eyebrow once more and stating "What?"

"....public displaying of affection....and being in a relationship with someone whom you work with..." Winter sighed, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

"If  _that's_  the case, then ask him about his little crush on Glynda! I mean, I heard from Oz that they danced together when Beacon had it's annual dance, so..." Qrow trailed off.

He then smirked, walking around to face her.

She looked down, avoiding his eye contact.

"What about.... _private_  displays of affection?" Qrow smirked, leaning close.

"The General warned and declined me of those too." Winter stared, placing her right hand onto his chest and stepping back in order to create some space between them.

"So, you're  _just_  like you  _used_  to be, huh, Schnee?  _Still_  concerned with what  _others_  say and how  _they_  view  _us instead_  of how  _we_  view ' _us'!_ " Qrow frowned deeply.

"It's  _not **that**_ , Qrow, it's....Just shut up!" Winter sighed, then snapped.

"So you  _really_   _haven't_  changed.... And all this time, I thought...." Qrow muttered in anger and disgust.

"I  _have_  changed!" She snapped again at him.

"Obviously  _not enough!"_  Qrow replied, stepping closer in anger.

"Oh,  _shut up!_  You have  _no idea **what**_  I've went through in order to be here with you, you-"Winter began, but was cut off by Qrow.

"Do you know  _why_  I decided to kiss you?" He yelled, causing Winter to go silent.

"Pray, do tell!" She glared.

"I don't care  _who_  sees us or _what_  people say about us, Winter! I came to that conclusion a  _long_  time ago! It's a shame that  _you haven't_!" Qrow snapped and yelled back.

Winter huffed, staying silent.

She then told him softly "With eyes  _always_  watching from birth, it's difficult not to...care... But, I-"

"But you didn't care what they'd say when you went to join the military,  _did_  you? .....  _What_  makes  _me_  the deal-breaker, Winter? Tell me  _that!"_  Qrow yelled, cutting her off in a rage.

He waited for her response, but was met with a cold, deafening, cruel silence.

She stared at him, shame filling her body, heart, mind, soul, being, and very existence oft her life at all (at that moment and time, in particular)!

He sighed, leaning close to her. She glared, stating coldly "I  _swear_ , Qrow Branwen, if you  _dare_  kiss me...."

He stepped back, shaking his head with a frown. "Get out." He told her angrily.

"Make me!" She told him, furious.

"Uh, hold on a second....Winter and Qrow! I'm supposed to tell you...that... since it's getting dark soon, you need to -"

"I'm leaving." Winter cut him off, turning and beginning to walk to the exit.

"Fine, Ice Queen! Congrats on earning back your nickname! Funny thing, I was debating on changing it to something  _warmer_  so it'd suit you better....I guess I was wrong on that too...Just my luck, huh? To fall in love with the likes of  _you!_ " Qrow commented swiftly, causing Winter to stop in her tracks.

"You don't....you don't mean that..." She replied.

"Like how you  _didn't_  mean  _everything_ you've said to me tonight, Ice Queen! Get lost! I hope you get what you deserve!" Qrow spat.

Winter turned around to face him, angered and saddened to the point where anger  _clearly_  had shown through, but where tinges oft sadness also layeth upon her facial features and body language.

"Oh no..." Oscar trailed off in fear, staring at the entryway of the bar.

"I-I'm sorry that-" She began, but was cut off with widened eyes as the hand of a large grimm wrapped around her waist.

Winter was immediately yanked out of the bar and propelled backwards into the air, while Qrow stood where he was, dumbfounded.


	4. Let's Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions

"What....was  _that_?" Oscar exclaimed in pure fear.

"A grimm, of course, but not.... _exactly_  like the one I saw in Kuroyuri- _worse._ " Qrow replied grimly.

" _What_  are we going to do?!" Oscar panicked.

"Nothing." Qrow told him firmly, routinely taking a sip from his flask as a large crash could be heard a good few meters away.

" _What_  do you MEAN ' _ **nothing**_ '?!" Oscar asked, clearly alarmed at Qrow's apathy.

"Oz, she can  _obviously_  handle herself out there, right?"Qrow replied with a sigh as a grimm's roar could be heard off in the distance.

He sighed once more, saying "Look, in  _normal_  circumstances, I wouldn't have said a thing. After she disappeared from that doorway, I would've gone after her in a  _split_  second and helped her take down that grimm. But these _aren't normal_ circumstances! And right now, ...... I'm just not feeling it, let alone  _up_  to it!"

"Besides," He added quietly to himself "if she has the guts to say  _that_ stuff to  _me,_ she can  _surely_  take out  _that_  thing  _ **alone!**_ "

After a brief silence, Oscar said to him "Qrow, l-look at me, please." while trying to add a calmer demeanor to his own tone and stance.

"What do you  _want_ , Oz?" Qrow sighed, hearing a few snarls of grimm from afar.

"Qrow....I'm supposed to say.....that despite your argument with Winter, you  _still_  need to help her! You  _don't_ want her to  _die_ on you, right?" Oscar told him.

"Ehhhhh......." Qrow shrugged her shoulders.

"Qrow!" Oscar scolded.

"How would  _you_  feel, Oz, having to help the woman who just broke  _your_  heart?!" Qrow argued.

"Um....Well, it's a....complicated situation, Qrow, b-but...uh....when you need the assistance and receive it....it can  _really_  affect your...future! Is that everything? ..... Yah, I suppose..." Oscar replied.

" _Sure,_ Oz, and  _where_  would  _you_ -" Qrow began, but was cut off by the roars and snarls of multiple grimm that had their sights set on the center of the city.

"Come on, Oz, I guess we better go." Qrow sighed as he brought out his sword from behind his back, turning it into a scythe.

With that, Qrow bolted out the bar.

"Hey, wait up! I don't know how to use this thing!" Oscar exclaimed as he ran after Qrow, gripping his cane with both hands.


	5. Battling the Worst

Winter felt herself being released and thrown up into the air, as if she were a rocket-ship being launched from the claws of death, so to speak.

She gasped as she was grabbed once again, tightly by her waist, soon after being let go and slingshoted across the town.

She tried to get a grip on her surroundings as g-force surrounded her, covering her forehead with her arms as she crashed into a building.

She grimaced, landing on the second floor floorboards of said edifice. She groaned softly, slowly attempting to get to her feet until the floorboards beneath her broke. She gasped as she fell, gripping the stable bits of the floorboards in front of her, now hanging from them.

She looked down, seeing-besides the wooden debris-a drop that, if need be, she could handle, but that _could_ cause an issue to her legs as result from an improper landing.

She shook her head, beginning to pull herself up onto the stable floorboards, the dust from the fallen ones below now rising into the air.

The large roar of the same grimm from before could be heard in her ears, approaching closer. Atlas had taught her **_many_** things, such as how to remain silent in dangerous, deadly situations, so her breathing was beneath a whisper.

Winter was still holding onto the floorboards until the grimm's large appendage came barreling through the wall, splintering the wall in front of her to pieces, causing her to fall onto the first floor.

She hit the ground with precision, quickly sighing in relief as the positive outcome of the positioning of her footing.

She rushed to a corner of the room she was now in that was free of debris and looked up, just in time to see the hand form into a fist and slam down in front of her.

Winter frowned and took this opportunity to jump up and scale the grimm' s arm as the grimm lifted said arm up. She then jumped higher into the air, prepared to continue the assault before another arm of the grimm swung, slamming into Winter's stomach and sending her to the dead-center of town.

Winter quickly used a glyoh to slow down her connection with the cobblestone street, causing dust to arise from the ground beneath her feet.

She hissed at her new opponent until she looked around and realized that she was inadvertently causing more grimm, from beowolf to nevermores, to appear.

She knew what she had to do and quickly began to do so with much haste, indeed!

For right now, at least, she _wouldn't_ need her sword that was sheathed, still resting at her hip.

"What the _heck?!_ " Qrow exclaimed as he ran head on into a blizzard, cold, deep, sea blue hurricane-like wind and snow particles seeming to float around him as he struggled to see.

" _What's_ going on?!" Oscar cried out in confusion, shock, and despair.

Qrow looked to his left, then to his right and noticed white, glowing beowolves with piercing, light blue eyes that had an extremely tense glow to them that flowed off in two streaks from said eyes.

Oscar noticed them as well, cowering in fear.

"Wow! She _really_ went _all_ out, huh?" Qrow smirked, trying to keep said smirk on his face until a realization hit him hard that quickly dissipated his former facial expression into one of somber.

"Let's go." He said firmly, placing his hand on Oscar's should.

"Wh- _What?! ......Why?!_ " Oscar exclaimed jumpily, turning to face him.

" _Because....._ I hate to admit this, but Winter's.....We need to hurry-and fast! Come on!" Qrow replied, pausing to glance at the summons around both him and Ozpin.

One summoned beowolf walked closer, growling lowly at the two.

Oscar panicked while Qrow said "Easy, there. You _don't_ wanna do _that_!", pointing his scythe at it.

The summoned beowolf continued to growl, not backing off as it's paws began to touch the soft cobblestone below it.

On a whim, it launched itself at both Qrow and Ozpin, another summon close by eyeing the encounter.

Qrow cut down the attacking summon with expert speed, watching it dissipate into wispy, then air despite the raging winds and snowflakes around them.

The summon that watched the encounter stepped closer as Oscar turned to his left.

It positioned itself to pounce until something clicked on its head that caused it to stop.

It snarled at Oscar and Qrow before it ran off in a straight line, into the distance-heading right to the core center of town.

In the distance, another crash could be heard.

"Come on!" Qrow urged Oscar, bolting after the retreating  summon.

"Wait! Qrow-it's _**not**_ safe!" Oscar called against the fierocity of the winds, hesitating briefly before running after him.

His cane, unbeknownst to him, began to glow a light green.


	6. Apologies in a Bad Time

Winter closed her eyes, creating an enormous mix of winds and snowflakes and snow particles that flowed out and around her.

She made it large enough to encompass the approaching grimm, quickly increasing the dome's length in coverage. She'd gotten a couple of good looks at the grimm, but hadn't seen it fully.

She was confident in her abilities, summoning beowolves to surround her, along with more beowolves and nevermores that lined the barrier of her mini-snowicane of sorts.

Ten grimm from the surrounding landscape appeared first, Winter using her summons to defeat them with ease.

Detecting movement a few hundred yards away, she used one of her beowolves to attack the incoming threat. Realizing her mistake, she demanded a nearby one's stance to be closer to her, drawing it away from the encounter at hand.

She heard a large crash and looked up to see the main grimm from before, it's hand knocking the roof off of a nearby building.

Winter eyes it furiously before her eyes widened slightly in shock.

"What.....?!" She exclaimed, noting that more than two pairs of eyes and a head could be made out through the torrents of wind and snow above and before her.

She quickly began to summon one of her greatest threats to defeat the grimm that stood in front of her.

True, she knew her actions would seem childish and/or cliché to any one observer's eye; however, she didn't care. She'd been practicing this for some time now, waiting for the perfect chance to use it. Now seemed like the best and most opportune time for her.

The summons around her grouped together behind her, beginning to merge into a large puddle. They then took the form of a familiar person to Winter, becoming taller and wider, ascending upwards like upon an elevator from basement level. She stared menacingly up at the grimm as this summoning was taking place.

The beowolf she'd commanded earlier came to her, turning into dust upon her immediate demand. She wasn't focusing on it. Right now, and was focusing on the grimm in front of her.

"Winter!" Qrow yelled, running out of the cover of the low visibility and into the fray, following quickly by Oscar.

"Qrow! I- I'm sorry, I-" She began quickly before Qrow noticed her summoning.

"Who's that?!" He asked sternly, pointing to the figure being her.

Winter immediately went silent upon being asked this question by Qrow and ceased her summoning completely.

The wind continued to rage on as he yelled to her "Get back-now!"

She looked up to see the grimm smash its hand down in front of her, causing her to fall down due to the vibrations beneath her feet.

"Come on!" He yelled, running up to her, grabbing her and pulling her up tho her feet by the arm, and looking for a place to conceal their whereabouts.

"Over here!" Oscar shouted, motioning for them to follow him behind a nearby building corner, to which they did so with expert speed.

"What was that?!" Winter exclaimed as they hid.

"That...was a Hydro. You haven't even seen half of it yet, Ice Queen!" Qrow replied sternly as Oscar shuddered, hearing the low-pitched roaring of the Hydro as the sea-blue winds and snow particles, clumps, and groups around them slowly dissipated into light, airy, clear nothingness.


	7. Hydro and the Battle

"That...was a Hydro." Qrow told her.

"You haven't even seen half of it yet, Ice Queen!" He replied sternly as Oscar shuddered, hearing the low-pitched roaring of the Hydro as the sea-blue winds and snow particles, clumps, and groups around them slowly dissipated into light, airy, clear nothingness.

'I could've kept it going, but...' Winter thought, trailing off as she looked straight, not yet peering around the corner to see her new adversary.

"Why'd  you stop?!"Qrow asked her with fury.

She couldn't quite answer, closing her open, right hand by her right lower chest into a fist with a sigh.

"Guys, I don't think we'll be able to last this long here!" Oscar told the two before him, trying to keep his voice down despite his mounting and growing fear.

One and a half of the hydro's heads could be seen from around the corner, to which it was trying to get a better look at its surroundings and Winter and Qrow were trying to look at it, being that the opportunity arose.

"Come on!" Oscar insisted, grabbing Qrow's arm and trying to pull him with him.

"No, Oz, let me handle this!" Qrow countered, not moving his arm.

"That...thing..." Winter commented, noting her earlier confirmation of what she saw to be true.

However, something seemed off about her previous calculation-where was the arm now?

"Oh no!" Winter exclaimed as she saw said hand come down from above.

She quickly pushed Qrow out of the way, doing a forward tumble, quickly getting to her feet and spinning around, looking up to see more than two heads.

Qrow growled, sitting up and grabbing his scythe, springing to his feet.

"Guys, not now! Hurry!" Oscar pleaded, motioning for them to follow him down the cobblestone corridor before the grimm could do any more damage.

Qrow grabbed Winter's arm with his free hand, yanking her down the corridor as he and Oscar bolted.

The grim pursued them quickly, the group ducking into an abandoned nearby building, moving towards the center and stopping when they heard large, trudging footsteps outside.

Another low growl was heard before the movement continued past the building the small group encompassed.

The group sat down, taking a few moments to catch their breath.

"Thank you." Qrow muttered to Winter, who gave no response except heavy breathing and staring into his eyes to see if his sincerity reigned true-it did, to an extent.

"Who  were you summoning back there?!" He asked her sternly after his breathing returned to a normal pace.

Winter spat "Why....do you care?! What's....it to you?!"

Qrow was silent this time, debating how to formulate his response.

"Guys, calm down or you're going to attract more grimm!" Oscar told them, fear still clinging to and seeping through his relatively soft voice and tone of anger.

"I'm just curious, is all." Qrow replied to Winter, lowering his voice as Oz requested.

"NO! You...don't deserve to know! Besides, it...doesn't matter, I....he.....she....we....." She trailed off, thoughts running through her head and filling her mind as she struggled to pick one memory, stick with, and relay it all to him.

"Why'd you save me?" He asked her, his voice now much quieter due to the purpose of his questioning.

Winter stopped talking, now staring in shock at Qrow and his inquiry.

"W-Well, I....I didn't want you to die..." She began before he cut her off.

"You don't mean that..." He replied swiftly, reminding her of when she had said that phrase just minutes earlier.

He had refuted her claim of care within mere moments, and she knew not what to say to fix it.

"Qrow...." Winter began, reaching out to him slightly and placing her right hand on his shoulder.

"Get off of me, Ice Queen!" He told her, brushing her hand off his left shoulder.

"You don't deserve  the right and trust to do that!" He added with a hiss.

Winter sighed, moving to sit slightly closer, hoping that she could explain her earlier actions.

"I swear, Schnee, if you dare come closer..." He snapped, causing her to sigh and move back to where she originally sat.

"Fine!"She snapped back, folding her arms, looking down.

Qrow then glanced away from her.

Winter sighed, frustration clear in the voice that began to rise in her throat. A lump was forming there that she had  to keep down, for fear of insult by Qrow, as well as to a much less degree, the need of explanation to Ozpin. Also, she couldn't let her emotions cloud her thinking in a survival situation. Atlas has trained her well, she remembered.

* * *

 

The three sat in relative silence as they could hear the grimm from afar, making its way back around to where they were hidden.

"What do we do?!" Oscar asked softly.

"Don't know yet. I'm  _not_  helping  _her_ , though!" Qrow replied.

Winter was silent, turning away from both him and Oscar, wiping her eyes.

"We... _need_  to fight back  _properly!"_ She told them, her voice wavering slightly.

"Winter?" Qrow asked her softly, catching this change in her voice as he put his scythe upon his back.

She was silent, hugging herself, not replying to him as she sheathed her weapon.

"Winter, it'll be alright!"Oscar told her softly.

"No, it's....There's  _no_ ** _need_**  to get concerned over me or caught up in my personal affairs." She replied before her eyes widened.

She looked down, avoiding the stare of shock from Qrow that she'd gotten, noticing it in her peripheral vision. He had remembered when he'd said that phrase. They  _both_   had.

"You  _dare_  mention-" He began angrily before Oscar stepped in-between them.

"Silence,  _please!_ The  _hydro_  would appreciate your negativity and noise, but I  _certainly_ ** _do_** ** _not_**!"

"Oz, you don't understand!" Qrow told him, pointing at Winter afterwards.

" _She_   just brought up something that  _I_...." Qrow began to add before he trailed off, glaring at her.

"I miss it too..." Winter mumbled.

"Sure don't  _act_   like it!" He muttered, causing her to be shocked that he'd heard her.

"W-Well, people express their emotions in different forms and ways, Q-Qrow..." She cleared her throat quietly.

"Uh-huh. I'm  _sure_  of it!" He spat, stepping beside Oscar and closer to Winter despite the distance he was determined to keep between himself and her.

She sighed, mumbling "Let me prove it to you..."

"Why  _should_   I? You'll just do what you've already done all over again!" He snarled.

"It's not like I haven't given  _you_   second chances!" She spat.

"It's  _not_  like it'd be your _'second chance'!_ " He spat back, stepping closer.

" _Nor yours_!" She growled.

"I don't know what you _think_ you're implying, but I've heard  _enough_!" He growled back as the hydro could be heard above them.

"If you  _won't_  hold your tongue-" She began before he cut her rage off with a kiss to silence her.

The three were silent, the hydro growling louder, its multiple heads starting to make sound of a fierce, threatening origin of depth and death.

Qrow's arms were wrapped tightly around Winter, his left hand entangling itself in her hair, taking down her bun to allow her hair to fall down, becoming shoulder-length at most. Winter's arms were softly wrapped around Qrow's body; she was gasping and blushing as her hair was released from its prison. She then blushed more noticeably, wrapping her arms tighter around Qrow before Oscar nervously-and quietly-tapped his foot to get their attention.

Winter and Qrow slowly broke their kiss, staring into each other's eyes.

She rubbed the side of his face, her fingers still cold as the glove's frosty fabric brushed against his face.

He closed his eyes and nodded, holding her hairband tightly in his left hand. He took it and rolled it up his arm. Winter noticed his actions slightly, giving him a small smile, to which he smiled back.

Oscar walked closer to them, frowning, causing them to step back from each other. He nodded with a sigh, relieved that they'd managed to stay silent.

A large crash was heard that caused everyone's attention to be turned to the wall in front of them, outside light shining into the house.

The three stepped back, Qrow and Winter swiftly drawing and readying their weapons as Oscar slammed down his cane, shocked and gasping to see tiny, light green sparks.

"Woah..." Oscar exclaimed quietly in awe.

"Come on, Oz, let's go!" Qrow urged him, noting how Oscar had drawn his attention away from the obstacle at hand.

"No need! Stay put!" Winter told them as  she stepped back, the hydro's large hand coming down where she lay last.

She quickly scaled up its arm as Oscar looked to Qrow, asking him " _Why'd_   you kiss her?! After  _all_   this time you spent arguing and...I mean, not to be rude or anything, but you could've just covered her mouth!"

"A kiss won't solve everything between us, but that kiss...with the memory it embodies and the feelings and emotions attached to it....Hey, it's a start." Qrow replied.

He immediately added "You'll need to create a dome around us, Oz! You think you can handle that?"

"I-I uh....I'm not... _entirely_  sure that I'm able to do that yet, but, uhm, I-I'll try, Qrow!" Oscar replied, nervous of his new expectation.

"Good!" Qrow nodded, as another arm came down beside him, now next to the first one as he, too, backed away, then scaled the new arm.

As he jumped up, he was met with a torrent of snow and wind.

* * *

 

Oscar looked around, panicking "Wait!  _How_  do I get up there with you! I  _can't_  jump that high!"

'You'll have to find  _another_  way.' Ozpin told him.

"What do you mean  _'another_ way'?! Where  _else_  am I supposed to go, Ozpin?" Oscar exclaimed, looking throughout the structure of the building for a way out that presented a feasible option for getting to a building's rooftop.

'I'm afraid you'll have to figure this out on your own!' Ozpin replied, his voice calm and absent of alarm.

"I _can't_  do this  _all_  on my own, you know!" Oscar told Ozpin in anguish as he ran outside, being met with a torrent of snow and wind-a blizzard.

 


	8. Every Victory Comes with a Price

The battle had begun. Winter used her glyphs to dodge around the multiple swings and attacks from the head, trying her best to slash them but something would hit her back as she tumbled onto the ground.

 

Qrow did his best to retaliate, able to cut off one of the heads when his sword transformed to a scythe, but he was too focused to notice it's claws had unsheathed and swung down at him.

"QROW LOOK OUT!" Winter cried as she jumped and pushed him to the side, both rolling down onto the ground before quickly jumping away as the Hydro's head went down to take a bite. They both looked at each other for a moment before quickly sprinting as more fists of wind rushed and surrounded more the Grimm and two Hunstmen.

Winter panted as she rushed to cut off a head but after a slice she was slammed back down onto the ground, a loud cry whistling in the strong force of wind pushing back.

"Wint-" Qrow turned over to help bit a large arm swung down and made immense contact with his sword, the ground beginning to sink underneath his feet, struggling to push back as its heads circled around him. One of its arms coiled around winter and yelled in pain as she was being crushed, Qrow desperately trying to push back until he froze at the sound of a zap.

"I'm coming guys!" The young freckled faced teen rushed over using the cane as he shot out electrical surge to distract the beast, the monster roaring and shaking it's heads and moving to where Oscar was.

Winter fell but landed on her feet, her legs trembling slightly before looking down at herself and gasping until she turned at Oscars voice. "Guys, we need to stun it, Qrow you have the scythe to get a clean shot!" He yelled, dodging when it's tail slashed towards him and roared loudly in anger as it charged.

Winter ran as fast as she could, glyphs forming all around the beast as small nevermores were summoned and flew frantically around the beasts body. Hydro growled and roared again as it tried to swap them away, winter forming a glyph underneath Qrow's feet. Their gaze met for what seemed like forever as she closed her eyes and released him. He flew straight in the air towards the Grimm, his sword transforming and raising above his head before slashing with one clean strike.

 

It was quiet. Once he landed and slowly turned, the whole body was cut in half before slowly collapsing onto the ground and became nothing but black fog and vanishing into the air.

 

"Finally.." Oscars heartbeat raced as he sat back down onto the floor and panted heavily, laying back and trying to catch his breath, due to his inexperience in the battlefield.

 

Qrow let out a sigh of relief as his scythe returned to it's normal state as he attached it behind his back and turned, smiling a little at the Specialist.

"Hey Ice Queen we-" his words cut off by her body being slightly crouched as she stood.

Her hand was holding onto a side of her stomach and chest before removing it as it revealed a large dark red wound that slashed across her lower body, her hand covered and dropped of the red liquid. Winter's  eyes averted to his and spoke.

"I'm sorry.." she said before her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she tumbled to the wide, her body collapsing as she could feel her vision blurry and her mind go blank into darkness, hearing the heavy footsteps of someone rushing over to lift her dying body.


	9. Forgotten Memories

" _Why_   was that kiss so important to me?" Qrow began as he sat in the chair next to Winter.

She was unconscious upon a medical stretcher, hooked up to the aforementioned EKG and EEG, breathing steadily beside him with the assistance of autonomous ventilation machinery and equipment.

Oscar was sitting in a chair a few feet away from Qrow, across the other side of the small room they all inhabited, his attention being drawn away from looking at his cane, and, to a lesser extent, Ozpin, as Qrow began to speak.

"When you asked me that earlier... _Why_   I kissed her, my explanation  _probably_   didn't make much sense to you, huh?" Qrow asked him.

Being that this was a question one would answer inside their head, Qrow continued after a brief pause "We've kissed like that only  _once_   before."

He added, frowning as he glanced to Oscar "Granted, we were  _alone_  when it occurred, so there was no one to  _interrupt_  us...-"

"-Right. S-Sorry; it's just...I wasn't really comfortable with seeing that and..."Oscar trailed off nervously.

"No, it's _not **that** ,_ Oz." Qrow sighed, glancing away.

He then began "It's just that...well....when we  _did_   kiss like that, it was the first time we'd ever really kissed at all. I mean,  _truly_   kissed! True, there were instances where we  _almost_   did or  _accidentally_   kissed, but  _that_...... _That_   was  _meant_   to happen, being that we  _both_  initiated and took part in the kiss..."

He added, turning to look at Oscar once more "Despite what I may seem, Oz, I've never  _really_ kissed anyone, let alone have been _'enthralled'_   in telling about the experience..."

"I can't blame you there!" Oscar smiled.

"Heh." Qrow chuckled briefly, before his smile faded and he continued on the conversation.

He picked up where he left of, telling Oscar "The same thing almost can be said with dancing. True, I've danced with other people before, but not like with Winter... "

He then chuckled "Hey, aren't you the one who told me that dancing was like fighting?" at the memory that had just sprang forth into his brain.

" _You_ said  _ **that?!** "_  Oscar exclaimed to which Qrow replied "Yeah, apparently so if by 'you' you mean 'yourself'! You were right though on that, Oz! Fighting Winter  _isn't_   like fighting  _anyone_  else I know!"

"That was our first kiss. The night of our first and last dance together. Where we both...." Qrow continued before he stopped and looked down.    

"What is it?! Is it something I....don't want to know, or...." Oscar trailed off with hesitance until Qrow stopped him.

"We admitted our feelings for each other after the dancing and the kiss." Qrow said, his tone and voice volume remaining unchanged.

He didn't care  _who_   heard him.

He went on to explain "That was the only night where we were perfectly calm and peaceful and optimistic and happy. .... She knew of my semblance, but chose to love me anyways. We already knew it wouldn't last-what we had between each other, I mean. Her family wouldn't allow it, plain and simple. It's  _not_   like we  _asked_  them-we just  _knew_ , so we didn't. I already knew of her father from James, but not like how  _she_ had told me of him! There's  _still_ things that she probably won't tell me about all of that, but....that's alright, I guess. I mean, there's _plenty_ of things that I haven't told her about my past-and for  _good_  reason! There  _was_   and  _still **is**_ _ **no**_   reason to bring  _those **things**_   up with her! ........ She knows I have a sister-Raven-and I know she has Weiss and her 'rotten little burden of a brother', as she calls him.  _That's_   why I was concerned with  _who **exactly**_   she was summoning, Oz! I haven't seen her father, brother, or mother in-person. But I know why she was summoning  _one_   of them! She told me once..."

"She was summoning someone she hated and had fought for  _so_   long, hoping to use and put all of that built up negativity to good use! They'd  _tormented_  her...and she wanted to use all of the pain she'd gathered over the years as  _revenge!"_  He finished.

He then immediately added "That night we spent together was filed with bliss and longing, guilt and shame, fear and worry, and love that cast aside and out all those negative, truthful, harsh emotions that would've ruined our last and only,  _true_   evening together.  After that night, everything around us began to crumble and become  _disastrous!"_

 _[Winter_Qrow_And_Whitley_I](https://s3.postimg.org/3lm7d7jmb/Winter_Qrow_And_Whitley_I.png)_  

"Accusations were made that shouldn't have been made, things were said that  _ **shouldn't**_   have been..." He trailed off, unable to finish as he teared up and his voice cracked and cut off due to the flooding back of the memories from not only that night, but the coming days, weeks, months, and years that were to follow an event of _that_  size and magnitude between and betwixt them.

Oscar was shocked to see tears forming at the edges of Qrow's eyes, never expecting to see the man cry in the  _first_   place!

Qrow turned away, wiping the edges of the tears that began to fall.

" _A lot_   happened between us that night. And true, it never stopped us from kissing....well, it  _never_  stopped  _me_   from kissing  _her,_   but...we've never danced since." He added once he'd cleared his throat and blushed a bit.

" _No,_  I'm _not_ asking him that! I  _don't_ wanna know _that!_ " Oscar exclaimed with a slight blush on his cheeks, to which Qrow looked at him, confused.

"Ask me what, Oz?" Qrow inquired.

"Oh, i-it's  _nothing_ important, Qrow! It _really **doesn't**_ matter!" Oscar told him, trying to diminish the blush.

"Why are you arguing with yourself all the time?" Qrow added to which Oscar was silent, not sure how to answer this newfound question.

"Nevermind. I do that too, just not as aloud as you seem to do now." Qrow told him quickly, brushing the question away

"What else....did you two do that night?" Oscar asked him nervously with a frown.

"Heh. So  _that's_  what you were talking about? Nothing  _too_   intimate, Oz." Qrow chuckled, the smile lasting longer on his face this time.

"What are we going to do? About Winter, I-I mean!" Oscar asked him.

"I don't know, honestly. I mean, I know we'll have to stay here...I've got to tell Ruby and the others where I am, but I don't want them coming here yet. Winter and I still have  _some **things**_ to work out before they all come over here...I mean, assuming they  _can_  be worked out..." Qrow answered, trailing off with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Qrow! She'll get better! She'll  _have_ to if she ever wants to leave!" Oscar replied with a smile.

Qrow, although initially shocked with that claim, nodded in agreement.

She'd  _have_ to if she ever wanted to leave!


	10. Love Comes With Pain

_And in its place there's nothing, just an endless empty hole._

Fading back in from the darkness, to Winter came forth a scene that she'd remembered as well. It was as if she were back in her own room, the white and light blue furnishings and drapers a comfortable yet haunting reminder of her time as her stay in the Schnee manor _._  She didn't remember coming back to her bedroom the night prior, so she was left momentarily wondering how she'd gotten there. She'd remembered dancing with Qrow into the night, but not much else since everything after that seeming to fade to black and become fuzzy.

All she could  _really_  hear were two voices arguing at each other in front of her. Winter was curled up on her knees on the soft, carpet floor of her bedroom, uncurling and bringing her face up to meet those whom opposed her. It was her parents.

[Jacques_Schnee_Mrs._Schnee_Dis](https://s2.postimg.org/igysjdefd/Jacques_Schnee_Mrs._Schnee_Disappointed_NOT_T.png)

" _How_ could you disobey us like this?!" Her father spat at her.

 _"Wh-What_ are you talking about?!" Winter stuttered, remaining oblivious over the situation at hand.

 _'Why_   were they so angry at me?' She thought in the confusion amidst her.

" _You,_  young lady, were  _late_  in returning to your room last night!" Her father continued, to which her mother nodded in agreement as the facts that laid before her.

"I-I was?! But father...mother., I-I can assure you that I'd never pride myself o-on being late to bed!" Winter told them, still shocked and confused at all of this.

"Oh? Then  _why_   did someone who was  _never_  supposed to enter this house do so last night?" He asked her, to which she was silent for a few seconds.

"Y-You _saw_   Qrow?!" She exclaimed in a quiet, shaky breath.

She immediately continued to argue her point "B-But he _didn't_  enter the house; father, mother, I  _swear_  he  _didn't!_   He did  _no **such thing**_ as that!"

"Qrow Branwen?" Her mother said quietly, having heard of that last name before.

Winter nodded at her mother silently.

"Whitley said that he saw a man who wasn't supposed to be her enter this house! He reported that the man had raven hair, a red cape, and had carried you inside and brought you into your room. Than man, like your  _very_  mother, smelt of alcohol." Her father began, curious to see his daughters reaction.

"I was going to just dismiss this claim altogether, but I wanted to know just  _how_ truthful Whitley  _was_  being! Your reaction has proved his claims to be accurate!" He added.

"Must've gone through something traumatic as well." Her mother commented softly.

Her comment went unaddressed as her husband continued "Whitley  _also_   heard hushed voices and talking in the room. Words like 'having a family' and 'love', am I correct?! Whitley  _also_ saw the two of you kiss, is that correct as well?!"

" _Wh-What?_ " Winter breathed in shock for lack of a better, less convicting response to come to her brain, turning her head to see her younger brother smiling with his piercing blue eyes out of the corner of her bedroom to her left.

"Sorry, Winter, but you  _must_   tell them the truth! I mean, the kiss out in the courtyard was  _much_   more extravagant than the little peck on the lips you two were giving each other when I-" Whitley began with his signature smile, before she cut him off.

"We were  _not_   in the courtyard!" She spat angrily, before realizing her mistake and tightly shutting her mouth, looking down with worry and a grimace of pain and defeat that she  _knew_   was coming her way.

"This is the  _first_   time I'm hearing of any _inappropriate **intimacy**_  in our own _courtyard!_  Go on, Whitley." Their father prompted him.

"Well, if I must, father." Whitley began, feigning a sigh to appear as if the moment was dreading him to relay.

Both he and his eldest sister knew what it  _really_   was-one of the most joyous moments and events in his life-the chance to undo the accomplishments and reputation of a sister whom he  _never_  liked in the  _slightest_ bit!

Whitley explained with various faces of frowning and disgust when appropriate, alongside his characteristic smile "Well, Winter and Qrow were out in the distance, but I could see them quite well, in fact, from where I was walking last night. I wasn't  _nearly_   close enough to alert them, just close enough to see and hear what was going on. Anyways, I saw them spinning in a circle-their meager and measly attempt as waltzing-before they talked and kissed. Their kiss was quite intimate, wouldn't you say, Winter? It _certainly_   took you _some_   time to pull out of the embrace you had on him!  _Who **knows**   _what you would've done if the kiss got more intimate! Went along with it, I assume? The flush in your cheeks confirms my claims!"

" _Sh-Shut up!_ " She growled, standing up, brandishing her weapon at her brother with cheeks flushed to the brim.

Jacques went off on her, beginning with "So, you  _intimately_   kissed a man known for being a drunkard, his family name associated with a tribe of  _bandits!_   You  _let **him**_  come into _our_   house,  _talk_   with him,  _look_  at him,  _kiss **him**_   while inside this house?! When you're caught, you  _lie?_! Do you know what this does to the Schnee family name?! If  _anyone_ were to find out about this, it'd be a scandal of  _immense_   proportions! You just  _don't_   think things through,  _do_   you Winter?!"

"I-I  _love_   him!" Winter yelled at them.

She was met with a smack to the face. It was one that'd normally take her down, but due the current and present circumstances instead caused her to step back a bit.

"Qrow is  _so_   much  _more_   than just some drunk huntsman from Vale! He's  _not_   like his family! Like myself, h-he-" She continued to defend him, another hit from the other side stinging her face.

"You know  _nothing_   of  _love,_  Winter! It is clear to see that all the stress of your increased duties has caused to seek comfort in terrible places with a terrible person!" Her father told her and suggested.

"No! I  _love_  Qrow Branwen and he  _loves_  me! We don't love for _comfort,_  father! Mother, he-he's  _not_  as he  _seems!_  True, he's over-overconfident, at times, but he's there for me when I need him-"

"To kiss, I assume?" Whitley smiled, an evil glint in his eye that  _only **she**_   could see and register, apparently.

"Whitley..." Their mother sighed, shaking her head.

"Sorry, mother, I'm just stating the obvious! You know, besides the fact that they were being  _clearly_ inappropriate despite-" He began to correct himself before he was cut off by their father.

"Silence!" He spat, striking Winter in the face.

She grimaced, seething with anger at him as she stumbled back a bit once more.

"If  _this_   is your claim...this  _delusion_  of yours.. _must_  be addressed properly!" He told her sternly, staring at her.

"It's  _not_   a delusion!" She cried out, falling back down to her knees in despair.

"You are not to speak of, talk to, be with, be near, kiss, associate remotely with, or anything else of this sort and so forth onwards with  _him,_ understood?!" Jacques snapped.

_The light that showed the way is gone_ _and darkness takes control._

Winter concealed her weapon, her hands soon after forming into fists as she looked down, them straight up and into the eyes of her father

"I  _will_   see him again!" Winter spat furiously, standing up.

"Oh, is that  _so_?" Jacques replied firmly, noting his daughter's behavioral change as a whole.

"Give us your scroll." He demanded her.

"Wh-What?! Why?!" She exclaimed, holding it tightly.

"Just to assure that, from this point on, no other information is passed on between you two." Her father answered, his voice calm, stern, and smooth.

"And if he texts you...well, we'll be sure to make sure he knows what's going on!" Whitley smiled, chuckling briefly at and after the pause, his voice low and quiet for only Winter to hear.

He said a little, now, for everyone in that room to hear "Now, Winter, do as he says! It's  _foolish **not**_ to do as father  _asks!"_

She briefly considered her options for what felt like an eternity. She  _could_   just be calm and give up her scroll now. This would-no, _could_   present long-term benefits, such as more freedoms from her parents if they  _ever_ come around to think she's sound of mind!  _However,_  she  _knew_  that this _feeble_   thought, plan, and device  _wouldn't_  be worth it to explain it to Qrow. He'd be hurt beyond belief to know she didn't at least  _try_  to  _fight_  her way out of it.

_She'd do it for him. And then she'd do it again. To do it for herself, that is to say, she'd do it for him._

" _No!_   You'll have to pry it from my _cold, dead_ hands!" She yelled.

"Winter, I expected better of you. Your behavior is treacherous and maddening! But then, so be it. Your punishment begins  _after_ we have your scroll. You will stay  _here, only_   unless you are called for a reason that you  _must_   be out of your room! You will get back your scroll when we believe that you can behave! Oh, and one of you-grab her weapon! She  _won't_   be needing it!" Jacques ordered firmly.

"Right. I'll do it." Her mother said softly with a nod.

 _"No!"_  Winter exclaimed, tightly gripping her scroll with all her might as she was tackled and pinned the the ground by her father, her brother reaching for her scroll while her mother removed her of her weapon. Winter continued to kick and scream, not losing her grip as her brother's hands connected with the scroll.

"Sorry, Winter!" Whitley smiled, staring her in her eyes with a confident smirk as he ripped the scroll from her grasp.

 _"No! Stop!"_  Winter cried out as she was struck repeatedly before her father got off of her and stood up, stepping back.

Her mother was holding her weapon in its sheath, the fabric partially ripped from her around her waist.

Her brother held her scroll, staring at it with a keen interest, desire, and smile. He face, at her noticing, immediately became neutral due to his father noticing his smile.

Winter looked up at them, out of breath.

"Wh-What are you gonna tell Weiss?" She asked, nervous as tears began to rapidly fall.

"Nothing. She needs not to know of her sister's.... _countless_   misbehavior, does she?" Jacques replied swiftly.

"W-Wait! I-I....Just let me call him or text him or-" Winter pleaded before her brother cur her off with a laugh.

"No, silly, this isn't a jail cell! You don't  _deserve_   the  _right  _ to have your 'one phone call', I presume!" Whitley laughed, the cruel sting clearly evident.

"Yes, Whitley is right." Jacques nodded as he left the room, followed by his son.

"Mother,  _please_  understand!" Winter pleaded softly, crumpled to the floor as her mother stood still in front of her, then stopped right after she walked over to the door, not exiting it just yet due to the helpless, sorrowful pleas of her eldest daughter.

Her mother was silent, turning around to look at her daughter.

"Didn't people call  _you_   harsh insults..when you were going to marry  _father?!"_   Winter breathed out shakily, crying and coughing throughout her response, trying to hold back all of her tears.

"Marriage?? You plan to  _marry_  Branwen?  _When?!"_   Her mother asked her softly.

"N-No, I didn't mean it like that! We  _can't_   get married, mother! I was referring to being ridiculed for  _loving_  someone! I-" Winter began, a slight blush from the memory of the conversation the night prior flowing forth to her mind.

"You're  _that_  serious about him, Winter?" Her mother asked once more.

"Y-Yes." Winter stuttered.

"My poor child." She commented before swiftly beginning to leave the room.

"W-Wait!  _Where_  are you going, mother?!" Winter exclaimed, standing up and walking towards her.

"I need to get a drink." Her mother said as she left, to which Winter's eyes widened and she fell back down to her knees in immediacy.

"Qrow would say that too..." She bawled, crying hard.

She wasn't looking at the time, but someone had closed the door to her room that was in front of her-to lock her pain in her room with her, as it seemed to  _her,_ at _least_ -.

She sobbed harder, racking her body and shaking furiously, her tears reaching screams, sounding inhuman and as if the pitches reaches a height and depth to which no human could utter the sounds. She grabbed her hair tightly, only to realize her hairband was still gone, which made her cry with more intensity, releasing a new wave of present, longing, grasping emotions she whispered to herself and wished to keep and hold onto forever. Oh,  _how **deeply**_   she longed and pleaded for the ability to go back in time and stay out in the previous night and morning, which she could barely remember at all. However, she knew that Qrow would remember it  _perfectly_. She only hoped that she could keep it that way and she wouldn't have him regret  _anything_   they'd done for, with, and to each other, whether that be general, genuine favor or a kiss.

"I...... _have_   to reach him! This  _can't_   be the end!" Winter sobbed, shuddering at the newfound cold air that surrounded her as a glyph appeared beneath her.

The window was still open. She hadn't closed it yet when she woke up. Now, she thought she'd heard a faint fluttering on wings, but her sorrows drowned u  _any_   remote sounds of  _that_   sort-of a wondrous sense of mother nature and the presence of love, warmth, beauty and optimism in light of the wave-like, deeding, solemn pessimism that existed before, contained within and inside and her, as well as this very bedroom itself.

"Winter?" She heard Qrow saying, feeling his warm arms around her back.

She sniffled, tensing up as she cried harder, feeling his chest and warm breath on her neck and back. For  _once,_  he was sober.

She turned around, wiping her eyes to look at him, stating "Oh, Qrow, I-I thought i'd  _never_   see you again! I love you  _so_  much, I-"

She cut herself off as she slowly stood up, shocked to realize he wasn't in the room with her. The window was still open.

"Qrow?! It was all.... _Where_   _ **is he?!" **_She panicked, trying to stop herself from breaking down again.

As she looked out the window once more, everything within her bedroom began to lift as if zero gravity was enacted, alongside herself.

[Jacques_Schnee_Mrs._Schnee_Dis](https://s2.postimg.org/rbrgg78qh/Jacques_Schnee_Mrs._Schnee_Disappointed_Tinte.png)

 "What's....going on?!" She asked herself softly as everything began to fade away into the darkness, again and once more.


	11. An Important Talk and a Plan

_Bitterness and anger are quick to fill the void._

Winter's vision was filled with the scenes in which she could see herself and Qrow argue  _viciously,_ back and forth _._  About, however,  she could not determine what.

"What... remember this as well!" Winter commented as she floated around, seeing herself in the vision before her. Her mind focused to realize that a mirror was the glass on which she saw the memory, blue light, airy fog, or some other substance, surrounding the memory, the gray-white glass of the mirror, along with its gold outer edges, being the canvas in which the scene played out.

Then, the scene before her diminished and faded to blackness.

 _"What's_  going on?!" Winter asked in shock.

In a few seconds, she was back in her room again, on her bed. She remembered this-it was the next day after...the incident...had occurred.

She laid in her bed, unmoving and sniffling as the bright sun moved through her drapery of curtains and her open window, shining onto her face.

[Winter_Crying_Eyes_Open](https://s1.postimg.org/4nts3rscv/Winter_Crying_Eyes_Open.png)

"Oh, Winter?" She heard a voice call out to her as their figure passed by the door.

Winter didn't move, initially. The voice she heard was  _last_ voice that she wanted to hear right now. If not that, then a close second.

She sat up, groaning and rubbing her eye, turning her face to look and him, continuing to groan in her response  _"What?"_

[Winter_Just_Woke_Up_Tired](https://s1.postimg.org/5327prhb3/Winter_Just_Woke_Up_Tired.png)

"I just thought you'd like to know that Qrow texted you! He also called you multiple times! The voicemail he left was so mawkish and unnecessarily emotional, though! It's not like you  _died_   or anything! He-" Whitley began before he was cut off.

 ** _"Get out!"_**    Winter yelled,  throwing a pillow at his face. Said pillow landed at his feet, on the line between the end of Winter's carpeted room and the tiled floor of the rest of the house.

"Woah! Hey, calm down, Winter! No need to be so violent! It's not like _you_  could mean  _so_  much to him anyways! After all, intimacy-" He began before he was cut off once more as she got up, marched over to the door of her room, and slammed it in his face.

 _The path to isolation is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed._   

"Why was my door even opened  _anyways?!"_ Winter huffed, folding her arms and walking back over to her bed. Once she reached it, she sighed heavily- _that_   was her  _only_  pillow.

"Oh, father thought you'd need it-to look the family you've disappointed in the face every morning, I mean, my point being, you don't deserve  _privacy_  any longer." Winter replied, his voice slightly muffled by the door, but clear enough for Winter to cohesively understand. She was silent, shaking as she stood, her fists clenched tightly.

She could hear a soft shuffling of feet, then their soft tapping as Whitley presumably walked away.

A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock at her door.

Winter walked over to door and opened it in a rage, yelling _"Whitley,_ ** _go away!_** _ **"**_   as her fists began to fly while her eyes were tightly closed.

[Winter_Yelling_At_General_Iron](https://s1.postimg.org/yj1p4806n/Winter_Yelling_At_General_Ironwood.png)

"Woah, Winter! It's only me!" The voice said as its owner caught her punches with expert skill, as if he'd practiced doing that for  _years_ -to which he probably  _has!_

"G-General Ironwood?" Winter exclaimed softly, alarmed at his presence.

"May I come in, Winter?" He asked her softly, to which she nodded and stepped to the side.

"Go on ahead and sit down." He instructed her as he closed the door.

She nodded and did so, noting that he was carrying something special with him. What is was, however, she could tell not.

"I heard what happened from your father. I wish to hear  _your_   side of the story." The General told her as he concealed the item he brought, then sat down beside her, his voice and demeanor calm, open, and fatherly.

She quickly told him a summary of everything that had transpired with Qrow, from before the kiss to the new sets of rules and standards she was forced to abide by.

"It's alright, Winter. Come here." He told her, opening his arms.

She quickly took his invitation, crying softly in his arms as he rubbed her back in reassurance.

"Your father doesn't know this, but I have an idea on how to sort this out." He told her, smiling.

"Y-You do?" She chocked back a sob.

"Yes, indeed, I do." Ironwood nodded.

"Winter?" He asked her softly, pulling back from the hug to get a better look at her face, then arms and legs.

"Yes, G-General Ironwood?" She asked him with a cough.

"How  _exactly_   did you get so bruised?" He asked her.

She looked away, not replying.

" _Who_   did this to you? I  _know_    _ **you**_    _didn't_  do  _this_   to  _yourself!"_  Ironwood insisted.

"F-Father..." Winter answered clearly, the memory still fresh in her brain.

[Jacques_Hurting_Winter_Tinted](https://s1.postimg.org/824p93gwv/Jacques_Hurting_Winter_Tinted.png)

"Has he....done this to anyone else?" Ironwood asked sternly.

"Yes. My sister and my mother. My brother is like an 'angel' to him though, so he doesn't get hit..." Winter spat in relation the the part about her brother, while her initial voice was sorrowful and tearful.

"I'll make sure this  _won't_  happen again, Winter!" He told her sternly.

She nodded, going silent again before saying "What's your plan?"

"Well, your father said that I 'wasn't allowed' to take you on a mission that Qrow would be on with me. So, I'm taking you on a mission-tonight. Get packed and be ready to leave." He explained, pulling away from her and beginning to walk to the door.

"But wait! General, why are we going this evening if Qrow won't be there?!" Winter asked, shocked as her tears subsided.

"You'll see. Oh, and I almost forgot- _here!"_  He replied, turning around and bringing forth her weapon in its sheath from behind his back, tossing to to her.

"Ho-How'd you-?!" She exclaimed, catching it and holding it tightly.

"I convinced your mother just as I convinced your father. I said that this mission would be short and that Qrow wouldn't be in attendance. I'll see you this evening, Winter. Pack a small suitcase of items, and don't forget to pack some water." He told her with a smile.

Winter placed her weapon on her bed, running up to the General and hugging him tightly.

"Your welcome, Winter." He told her, rubbing her hair and back. After a while, she pulled away from the hug, sniffling and wiping the stray tears from her face.

"I'll see you soon, Winter." He told her, softly closing the door behind him.

After a few seconds, everything in the room had perfect, normal lighting.

Winter walked to the center of the room with her weapon after she'd packed her suitcase, ready for the journey to begin.

Everything then faded into darkness, leaving Winter still as initially confused as ever


	12. The First Time I walked into His Office

General James Ironwood's P.O.V. (Point Of View)

[General_James_Ironwood_First_E](https://s1.postimg.org/7wc8e3bcv/General_James_Ironwood_First_Entering_Office.png)

The  _first_   time I walked into his office that morning, I had had a calm morning prior to my arrival at the Schnee estate. Jacques had called me earlier and told me to come over, being that the matter he had to discuss with me was urgent and pertinent. Assuming that this was about his Dust Company, I sighed and made my way over there at a normal pace, not too keen on rushing. However, I was shocked to say the least when I walked into his office. Something felt odd as he was welcoming me inside, telling me to take a seat in-front of him from his desk, to which I did.

As I walked towards him, I noticed what'd caused me to feel so odd, as if something were misplaced. Mrs. Schnee was standing in the right, back corner of the room as I entered it. I saw her out of my peripheral vision. I could tell she was holding something in front of her, but I didn't know what. This irked me slightly, due to my vast years of extensive, thorough Atlas military training, in which weapon recognition and battle strategy were a main part of my focus and training. I glanced a bit farther, turning my head slightly more in her direction as I looked back at the object in question, noticing that said object that she held in her hand was a sword in its sheath. 

 _"_ Eyes up here, James!" Jacques told me, causing me to turn my head back to face him, on impulse, as I continued to walk.

As I did so, I noticed a painting on the wall of Mrs. Schnee.

[Mrs.Schnee_Portait_Somber_NOT_](https://s2.postimg.org/j45balco9/Mrs.Schnee_Portait_Somber_NOT_Tinted.png)

I knew not when the painting was made, but I could tell that her expression wasn't joyous, to say the least. It was neutral, more so filled with corners and tinges of sorrow than anything else-in regards to emotional states, that is. Due to the background of the painting, I assumed that she was _here_   when it was made.

As I kept walking, a few feet or so down from the last one was another portrait of her.

[Mrs.Schnee_Portrait_Smiling_NO](https://s1.postimg.org/55gpu61lb/Mrs.Schnee_Portrait_Smiling_NOT_Tinted.png)

_This_ one, however, beckoned much more of a joyous, happy nature than the last. Due to the condition of the painting, I could only assume that this piece had been created earlier than the last-its paper was wrinkled, the top right corner peeling back.

'Hmm, this needs to be replaced...' I thought as I continued to walk.

As I got closer to Jacques' desk, I noticed two more paintings to its left side. It was odd, to say the least.

I could see one leaning on another. The first one, which I had gotten a mostly clear view of, was a painting just like the prior one, except...

[Mrs.Schnee_Portrait_Damaged_Sm](https://s2.postimg.org/4cv8ysrpl/Mrs.Schnee_Portrait_Damaged_Smiling_I.png)

_'Talk_  about  _needing_ a  _replacement...! What_ did Jacques  _do_   to it?!' I wondered, clearly as puzzled as ever.

I barely saw the other one, but through the faint glimpse of what I saw of it, its memory stuck to my mind...

[Mrs.Schnee_Portrait_Damaged_Sm](https://s2.postimg.org/gbz9l3ke1/Mrs.Schnee_Portrait_Damaged_Smiling_III.png)

I drew my attention back to the initial question at hand, debating who's sword I'd just seen.

 _'Winter's_   sword?  _Oh no...What's_  this about?' I groaned internally as I sat down in front of Jacques.

"I  _hope_   you didn't call me here this early to discuss  _the company_..." I grumbled to him.

"No, James. This  _isn't_  about the company- _this_  is about my eldest daughter." Jacques told me with a  frown.

"What  _about **Winter?"**   _I asked him, my eyes narrowing slightly.

Normally in the mornings, I'd be more open-s _lightly_   more open-to talking with him, but the paintings on the walls had caused my suspicions to rise in him. I already knew, to an extent, what kind of a man Jacques was, but I didn't know  _everything_  about him.

I could tell that two people from the back of the room were walking up to us-one, being Mrs. Schnee, and the other, I wasn't quite sure of yet. I turned my head slightly to see that it was Whitley. I sighed, shaking my head. That poor boy, following in the steps of his  _father!_

"James, you are  _no_  longer  _allowed_  to send Winter on any other missions that pertain to our have  _any **remote**  relation  _to or towards Qrow Branwen!" Jacques told me firmly.

"'Allowed?' Jacques, you can't order me to do  _anything!_ Council seats, remember?" I repeated, then told him with a chuckle.

 _"What'd_  Qrow do  _this_  time?!" I muttered.

"My son saw  _him_   kissing  _Winter **and**_   the  _both_   of them in  _this_    ** _household_** _ together  _last night!" He spat in anger.

"Did you ask Winter-" I asked Jacques before he cut me off.

"-Yes,  _of course_  I did, James! _What_ kind of man to you take me for?!" He replied.

He immediately continued "Winter confirmed Whitley's accusations and testimony to a 'T'. I  _cannot_   have the Schnee family name ruined and tarnished because  _she_   wants to ' _love'_ a drunk huntsman who's family is known for being bandits!"

"Love?" I repeated for clarification.

"Yes! She said that she  _'loves_  him and that  _he **loves**_  her'! The  _poor, **treacherous**_   girl doesn't even know what  _'love'_   is! How can she say that she  _loves_   ** _him?_**   She's deceived  _all_  of us and her behavior has become _out_ of control!" Jacques began to rant.

"Wow. I didn't know that they loved each other, let alone were affectionate towards each other. All they ever do is argue...." I commented

"But, I'm sure  Winter has  _reasons_   for why she feels the way she does, right? I mean, I'm not thrilled that she's in love with Qrow, being that we argue a lot, but...-" I began to suggest before Jacques cut me off again.

"She said he's not like his family." Mrs. Schnee pointed out softly.

 _"No_   reason that she  _ever_   gives will be  _sufficient_ enough!" Jacques replied, clearly ignoring the input from his wife.

He then told me "Her punishment was to have her weapon and scroll taken away. Since she  _isn't_  leaving her room  _unless_   instructed to by  _us,_  she  _won't_   be needing her weapon. Until she learns to behave, and even after that not that I consider that option more, she  _won't_ receive back her scroll!"

 _"What_   was her behavior like?" I inquired.

"Like her summoning, simply barbaric! She was yelling, kicking, becoming overly dramatic with her screaming and crying, she brandished her weapon at  _me_  for _verbally_ trying to knock some sense in to her, feigned ignorance about what we were even discussing, and she deceived us to the point in which I mentioned the.....heated...kiss from night prior! She wouldn't have disclosed that information unless I mentioned it, so I did! There you have it, General: deception and lies, feigned ignorance, and wild, uncharacteristic, unruly behavior all in insistence for a man whom we all know will never be suitable for  _us,_  let alone her!" Whitley answered me.

"How do you know that?" I asked, turning around fully to look at Whitley.

"Know what?" Whitley asked, puzzled.

"If you're talking about the conversation-" He began before I cut him off.

 _"How_  do you _know_   that Qrow isn't good enough for her? I mean, true, Qrow is overconfident, but he's also loyal and determined. I do wish he'd stop drinking.....,  but I can't change everything." I told him, then Jacques. I paused for a brief second, looking down, hearing Mrs. Schnee sigh in the pause that existed there.

"We  _don't_  need to meet him-we just do." Whitley replied to me swiftly before the scroll buzzed in his hands. His attention was drawn to it as he looked at the brightened screen, then lowered his head as he unlocked the device, beginning to type away upon it.

"His reputation says it all." Jacques agreed with his son.

"Good call, son." He complimented Whitley.

"No problem, father. I learned from the best and most proficient, after all!" Whitley smiled to his father, who nodded back to him.

"Well, alright, then." I told the three in the room with me, standing up.

"And just  _where_   do  _you_  think  _you're_   going?!" Jacques asked me with shock and alarm.

"What does it look like? I'm going to tell Winter to prepare for the mission." I replied firmly, taking a few steps past the chair in the direction of the door.

"No you won't!" Jacques spat at me, causing me to stop in my tracks.

I turned around to look at him.

"Jacques, I can assure you, assure  _all_ of you that Qrow  _won't_   be on this mission." I told him firmly.

"How do I know you're not lying?" He asked me.

"You'll....just have to take me word on it, Jacques." I answered him, plain and simple.

"Hmm....I  _still_   say no!" Jacques told me.

"I still don't trust you to be telling me the truth-!" He began before I interrupted him.

"-Then  _why_   do we work together!" I pointed out.

He ignored my counterpoint, saying "Besides, even if that man without a brain  _isn't_   on the mission, she  _still_   can't go-she's in trouble for the way she's acted! I won't allow her to go out!"

"I need  her on the mission with me, Jacques!" I told him sternly.

I wasn't lying there.

"You're  _not_  her father, James!" Jacques told me in fury, getting in my face.

"Is that  _right?"_ I asked him, my voice firm.

Everything was silent in the room a few seconds after I'd said that-after I'd uttered those  _very_  words.

Jacques' eyes widened for a few brief seconds.

My eyes turned from looking at Jacques's eyes to his wife's, who gasped quietly and looked down as both Jacques and I turned our attention to her. Jacques then immediately stared at me as I brought my eyes back to face his.

 "Oh, I need to take care of something! I won't be long, father! I'll join you in the meeting once it begins!" Whitley told his father as he made his way to the door, then exited upon Jacques's nod of approval.  

"You  _dare_  insult my wife like that?!" Jacques spat at me after a few seconds of silence.

"I didn't think it would've been as insult..." I muttered.

"Jacques, th-that's  _not_   what I meant by that! And you _know_  it, I only meant that-" I told him, stepping back a few paces.

"Are you _implying_  that you've had an affair with my wife?!" Jacques growled, stepping forward.

I cleared my throat and stepped forward as well, telling him  "No, _certainly_  not! You.....know that I have a soft spot for.....-"

He interrupted me, shouting "That Professor Glynda Goodwitch  _isn't_  going to let  _you_  be the  _one_  who ends up with  _her,_  James! If she  _hasn't_  fallen for you  _now,_ through  _all_   the years you've been 'trying' to win her heart, you'll  _never_ be with her!"

I was taken aback, but continued my former sentence with "-someone else. I'm  _not_  interested in romantically involving myself with your wife by  _any_   means!"

 _"Really?_ " Jacques scoffed at me.

"What  _did_   you mean, then?!" He asked me, angry.

"I meant that.....I'm not the  _only_   one who can have influence over her!" I began.

Jacques looked at a clock, then stated "I  _don't_  have time for  _this_....We will discuss this  _later!_   I have a  _very_   important meeting to attend to about extensive dust exportation!" as he made his way past me and over to the door.

"Be back here this afternoon!" He ordered me.

"I'll be back here when I  _choose_   to be!" I told him firmly.

"Come on, you too." Jacques called out to his wife. He waited for her until she began to shuffle her feet. After realizing she'd purposely take a long time, he then proceeded to depart the room without her. Once he went down the hallway, she stopped moving her feet, staring at her daughter's weapon that she'd ripped from her waist, the memory still fresh in her mind.

"Winter  _will_   be attending me on the mission!" I muttered, causing her to sigh.

I walked up to her, requesting of her softly "Mrs. Schnee,  _please_   hand me the weapon."

[Genral_James_Ironwood_First_Exiting_Office](https://em.wattpad.com/fcc92981d105bed48f06453d6e4b049099f071e6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f53307169364f756e4366363366413d3d2d3435313034383131392e313464383034313033383562636236623434323037333033333733322e706e67)

She held it tightly in her hands, displaying it horizontally as if it were upon a display case.

"Promise me.....she  _won't_  see Branwen." Her mother replied softly.

"She won't. I promise." I told her.

Without another word, she slowly unwrapped her hand from the weapon as she placed it in my hands the same way she'd been holding it since I arrived here in this very room of dark, deep blue wallpaper.

"Thank you." I told her, my tone unchanged.

She nodded firmly.

"I hope you stop drinking, too." I added, looking her in the face and eyes for a few seconds before I walked closer to the door.

"How do you know?!" She asked me, her voice louder and filled with shock, disbelief, and alarm.

"I know it's difficult, but try to quit it. ..... Have a good day, Mrs. Schnee." I told her in a low voice, closing the door as I left her husband's office.

As I made it to the end of the hallway, I heard the same door I'd closed moments earlier open and shut.

I looked back to see Mrs. Schnee exiting her the room.

As I looked at her, our eyes met. I had a slight smile on my face, but her eyes were still filled with fear and dismay as she turned her head, walking down the hallway to her right after her husband. I was going straight ahead down the hallway in front of me to the living quarters, to where Winter would be.

As I walked, I saw Whitley walking past me smiling, Winter's scroll in one hand and a heart-shaped, snowflake embroidered pillow in another hand.

"Hmm...That's odd." I commented, soon after reaching Winter's room.

I gave a gentle knock on her door.


	13. The Last Time I walked into His Office

General James Ironwood's P.O.V. (Point Of View)

The  _last_  time I walked into his office with a shred of respect for the man was this morning. Now, I had  _no_  respect for him! 

I had just closed the door to Winter's room gently, making sure to fully close the door on my way out.

'Jacques would get what was coming to him if it's the  _last_  thing I do!' I thought firmly.

As I turned around, I was met yet again with the presence of Mrs. Schnee. Her demeanor was apathetic, then calm as she passed me by. Without warning, she suddenly grabbed the collar of my jacket, yanking me down to her height.

 _"How_  do you know?!" She asked with anger, now face-to-face with me.

"I-I'd prefer it if you let me go so I can explain myself!" I told her, trying to calm the both of us.

She then did as I asked, becoming apathetic once more.

"My husband is still in his meeting." She told me.

I nodded as we both began to walk down the large, white hallway to his office.

Our feet tapped softly against the tile as we walked.

It was quiet for a second before she said "If you won't tell me  _how,_   ** _at least_**  tell me how long you've known."

"A while, I suppose." I replied to her as we continued to walk.

"Oh, I think that's my daughter's pillow over there." She commented, pointing to a pillow that was tossed in the right corner of the hallway. It was almost beneath a bench-an expansion area that was opened up for seating whence tired in the hallway.

 It was the same pillow that I'd seen Whitley carrying minute ago, except now it was in a horrendous condition!  

'This was an odd space to put it.' I thought as I stepped over to where the pillow was, picked it up, and dusted it off.

"Which daughter's?" I asked her.

"Winter's." She replied, looking straight ahead and continuing to walk until she entered the office alone.

"Hmm...." I commented as I walked back over to the middle of the hallway.

"I'll have this fixed..." I said, making a mental note of this as I  walked back over to the bench, placing the pillow on top of it.

'There.' I thought, smiling in small triumph.

I then turned back to my main task, quickly opening the door of Jacques' office without _any **sliver**_ of hesitation!

As I opened the door, I heard a smack.

I had wide eyes as I looked to where the sound came from, seeing Jacques, his wife standing with her back to me behind him.

"You  _drunk, worthless, sorry, pathetic_ excuse for a-"He yelled at her, stopping as I appeared in the doorway.

I looked at his wife, seeing a red mark on her face as she turned around. She was shocked, looking at me and my sudden entrance into the room.

[Mrs.Schnee_Gets_Hurt_I](https://s1.postimg.org/rk64yugjj/Mrs.Schnee_Gets_Hurt_I.png)

"Jacques!" I yelled at him, storming inside.

"Oh, hello, James! You're  _late!_   _Punctuality_  is usually  _your_   thing, _isn't_ it?" Jacques replied to me, stepping away from his wife and back to his desk, now sitting at it.

"Jacques, I am  _through_   with this!" I told him, furious.

"Why, James,  _what_ in the  _world_ are you muttering on endlessly and aimlessly about now?!" Jacques asked me as he leaned back in his chair.

 _"You_   listen  _here_  and  _you_  listen  _good,_   Jacques! I will _not_  tolerate  _this_ behavior,  _nor_  should your  _daughters, nor_   your _wife!"_   I spat at him, simply enraged.

"James, what kind of 'behavior' are you referring to?-" Jacques began.

I cut him off before he could even finish another sentence.

I went off on him , saying angrily "Jacques, don't play dumb with me! I'm talking about how you've hit  _Winter!_  How you've hit your _wife!_   How you've hit _Weiss!"_

"And what about that? If they misbehave,  _that's_   how I correct them." Jacques replied simply.

 _"Jacques!"_  I yelled, slamming my fists on his desk.

It took all the strength I had not to assault him right then and there.

"You _need_  to get a grip." He told me.

 _"That_   is _not_  how you parent, Jacques!" I growled.

 _"Who_   are  _you_   to tell  _me_   how to parent?! _You_ ** _don't_**  even  _have_   kids!  _You **ever**_  having children isn't even  **remotely** _likely,_ at  _that!"_  Jacques yelled back to me.

"I _ **don't**_   _have_   to have children to know how to treat them, Jacques! Someone as lowly and monstrous as  ** _you_**   should be able to  _remotely_   fathom  _that_   concept!" I growled with hatred.

"Why you _little-"_  Jacques began before I cut him off again.

"Shut up, Jacques! I just came in here to confirm my suspicions, which were  _right!_  You abuse your family, aside from your son, _physically **and** verbally,_ and expect me to just 'go along with it'?! Oh, no, that  _won't_   happen!" I told him definitely, firmly, without a doubt in my mind-except for the fact that I  _probably_  should've gotten this settled with and out sooner.

 _How_   could I   _not_  have noticed  _earlier?_

"I'll tell them  _all_   and you'll be punished for what you've done!" I told him, glaring.

"Oh, James, you  _really_   need to  _think_  things through! They  _won't_   believe  _a word **you** say, _James! I'll make  _sure_   of it!" Jacques replied with a voice of malice and sinister.

"Oh, is that _so?"_  I replied, something clicking in my head.

On random impulse, I swung my right fist at Jacques, knocking him onto the floor behind his desk.

"Think on  _that,_   Jacques!" I spat at him as I walked away from him, and over to his wife.

"Don't you  _dare_   put your hands on my wife!" He yelled at me, lifting his head to see me grab her forearm.

"I'm taking her somewhere  _safe_ -something   _you_   could  _never_  provide for her, I'm afraid!" I told Jacques sternly.

I swiftly pulled her out of the office and shut the door loudly behind us.

After a few seconds, she began quickly jerking her arm away, to which I loosened my grip, allowing her to break free of it. 

"I'm sorry. That was unprofessional. But I couldn't just  _stand_   there and let him to that to you and your daughters,  _especially_  with what I know  _now!"_  I told her with a sigh,hoping that she'd see my ways and perspective in the most positive light it and she could muster up during, through, and within a situation of this seriousness, this very magnitude itself!

She sighed, avoiding my gaze, bringing her eyes to the floor.

"I'm going out to the garden. When he awakes, he'll come looking for me. He   _always_ does." She said quietly, taking a few steps away from the door.

I followed her footstep pattern until she stopped. I then stepped in front of her.

"May I have your scroll?" I asked her.

"I don't have one. Jacques says that I don't  _deserve_  or  _need_  to use one since I misbehave a-and I'm drunk all the t-time..... He smashed mine...." She told me, her voice becoming quieter.

"Here. Use this. When he comes, call me. I'm the first number you see on it-besides Atlas emergency services, of course!" I told her, handing her a scroll from my coat pocket.

She stared at it for a moment, blinking, and silent.

"Won't you need one?" She asked me, her eyes soon after becoming glossy.

"This one's a spare. I have plenty of others." I chuckled.

She quickly took it, holding it in her hands.

She then looked down the hallway to her her left.

"I need my alcohol now, if you'll excuse me." She told me, to which I sighed, placed my hands in my pockets, and nodded.

'The  _same_ thing happened with Qrow...' I thought, taking a few steps away from her in the direction of the hallway down the middle of the 'intersection', so to speak.

"Wait! What did you....suggest earlier? F-For quitting, I mean!" She exclaimed, her voice at a level slightly lower than normally conversational.

I smiled, not looking at her, and replying "Earlier, I just mentioned quitting. But according to valuable, reliable sources I know of, three ways to start quitting are to go through counseling by a healthcare professional for treatment, go through a detoxification program in a hospital or medical facility for additional assistance, and/or take medications that combat your addiction."

"Thank you." She whispered as she walked away from me.

"Anytime, Mrs. Schnee." I told her quietly, hoping she'd hear me as we walked our separate ways.

Before walking away, I made sure to grab Winter's pillow, tucking it underneath my arm.

I soon reached Winter's room.

I gently knocked at her door once more-'woah, today was  _much_  more  _eventful_  than anticipated!' I thought.

Let the ' _mission'_   begin!


	14. Meeting 1

After hearing a soft knock on the other side of the door, a glyph was cast from her side of the door to open it, flinging it open wide in a gentle, firm manner.

"Are you ready to go, Winter?" Ironwood asked as he stood still.

"Thank you, General!" Winter smiled as she ran up to him, hugging him.

After a few brief seconds, she broke the hug, returning to the center of the room to quickly grab her things.

"Do you have everything?" He asked her, stepping into the room.

Winter nodded, smiling.

"Alright, then! Let's move out!" Ironwood chuckled with a smile.

"Yah! I-I mean, 'Yes!'" She agreed, clearing her throat to correct herself as she picked up her suitcase and sword.

"The water bottles are in the bag." She added quickly as she walked out the room.

"This won't take long." Ironwood told her as her, his smile ever still present as he closed the door.  
  
  


_The cold seems to grow in my soul, it's consuming me!_   
  
  


A few hours later, Winter was on the General's airship with him, sitting down in a seat as she was riding to the destination of their mission.

"Winter, this mission will be a grimm encounter. This shouldn't be _all_ that we're dealing with on my mission, though..." Ironwood explained to her as the airship continued to travel.

Winter nodded, waiting as she looked to her left.

She then stood upon impulse, nodding, but still confused.

"Winter, you _may_ want to stand up for this." Ironwood advised her with a smile as he looked at her.

  
"General Ironwood, what do you mean?" She asked him.

"Yes, this issue is about to require fighting grimm, but-" She began before he cut her off.

"Yes, I know." He chuckled, his smile consistently warm.

He then looked to his right, saying aloud "Yes, you can come out now."

A man with dark, raven hair and a red cape came walking out of the side of the ship to their right. His emotion was sad, neutral.

Winter's eyes widened in shock, staring at him.

_Confused, am I losing myself in the storm?_

"Yes, I know what I know. I know the both of you are here, in love, and that I have lied and brought you two together. I don't want the two of you to be upset with each other. Now, I'll still be here, but the both of you can discuss whatever you need to before the mission commences." Ironwood introduced them, his voice calm and warm.

Winter continued to stare at Qrow, her eyes still wide.

He looked back at her, his hands in his pockets, not sure how to go about the situation.

"I'm not sure whether to come off blazingly angry..or feel happy to see you..." Qrow commented softly, his sadness showing in his frown and weak tone.

Winter was silent.

He decided, since she hadn't moved a nanometer, to come closer, wrapping his warm arms around her surprisingly cold body.

She gently moved her hands, wrapping them slightly around his sides, then up his back.

"I missed you." He told her softly.

"I missed you too. You have _no idea how hard_ it was...it's been...without you." Winter told him, her voice calm, low, and cold.

"You don't even know the _half_ of it, Ice Queen." He told her firmly.

 

 

Ironwood smiled warmly at the two from as he heard Winter begin to speak.

"Qrow?"

"Yes, Winter?" Qrow asked her.

Looking up at him from the hug, she asked him "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say.....I've been through A LOT lately.... Oh, and you've got some new enemies....that know me. " He explained briefly.

"After what's happened?" Winter asked him.

Qrow was silent, nodding.

"Qrow?" Winter asked him once more, softer.

"Yes?" He asked back.

She hugged him tighter, silent.

"Winter?" He asked her quietly.

She continued to remain silent, increasing her grip on him.

"Qrow..." She answered, her voice quiet.

"Winter..." He comforted her in whisper, his voice soothing her as he began wrapping his left arm up around her hair and his right arm around her waist.

She was still silent, having calmed down, leaning into his chest, closing her eyes, breathing steadily as she soaked in the scents of his garments, body, and hair. She heavily enjoyed the scents, despite the alcohol she despised so deeply.

Tranquil and serene, she felt as if she were in a dream, making sure her arms were securely wrapped around his waist, keeping him in place.

"Qrow....Thank you..." She nodded, briefly halting her actions to pull away slightly in order to say her phrase of gratitude and quiet, current well-being.

"No problem, Ice Queen." He told her, nodding as sadness still filled in and had shone in his features.

This sadness, he had sealed off, filling it away as he continued to comfort Winter, wanting to submerge himself in the flowing water of ice and black feathers that was his and said woman's relationship.

He had held her closer, planting a few whispers of concern, serenity, and warmth into her ears, to which she nodded, burying her face deeper into his clothing.

"Alright, you two, the mission's about to begin." Ironwood told them from where he stood, a few meters away.

The two then looked ahead, breaking their hug.

The two got into fighting positions as the airship's main door began to open up, air blowing into the airship, rapidly bellowing into and flowing around them.

Bright, white light could be seen from the entryway as the air continued to flow into the airship, like when large bursts of air rapidly flow into one's car whence they roll said car's windows down at a high speed of travel.

The two then jumped down from the airship, landing onto the ground, green grass beneath their footwear.

Beowulf growls could be heard as beowolves and ursai, along with other various grimm, surrounded them.

The two were now feet apart, still focused on each other as they looked to their new opponents in front of them.


	15. You've also made an Enemy of Me

As the two got onto the ground, their feet hitting with moderate softness, they surveyed their enemies.

Winter noticed a beowolf to her left, standing to Qrow's left, as Qrow noticed a small creep, roaring a few feet away to his right, standing on Winter's right.

"So, I guess it's the wrong time to talk about those text messages and calls, huh?" Qrow turned his head to ask her.

"I mean, now that I think about it, I don't know if it's such a good idea to talk about negative emotions around grimm, due to their attraction, but..." He added.

"What?!" Winter exclaimed before she focused on the grimm in front of the of her, destroying it with ease.

"What do you mean 'What?' " Qrow asked her as he swung his scythe in a doward, right to left motion to slice the creep in half, his fingers moving rapidly around his scythe to stabilize the weapon and his control over it before he continued speaking.

"Oh, and about your new enemies, I mean, they've never _liked_ a Schnee, but after what just happened....what you _did_ to me...they really don't like you or want to see you-to put it lightly, of course." He explained briefly.

".....After what I _did_?" Winter asked him, slightly confused.

"Winter, the _text messages._ The _calls_. The _voicemails._ " Qrow listed, trying to hide the hurt beginning to see through the barrier he had placed between his heart and mind. This is where he'd _start_ to be asking questions.

"Winter, _what_ do you think I meant when I said that It's been hard on me too? That I _wasn't_ going through anything?!" He exclaimed.

"No, Qrow, I _kno_ _w_ that you _are_ going through things as well! I'm _not_ insensitive or uncaring or not willing to look at things from your perspective!" Winter told him.

"Oh really?" He scoffed.

"Do you have _any_ idea what I've went through?!" He yelled at her.

"Yes, but..." She trailed off again.

He cut her off, his voice gradually rising and shaking as he began " _No_! Do you _know_ the texts you sent me?! Their... _content_! 'Oh, Qrow, I don't want to be in a relationship with you anymore because of how your family's social status burdens me!' or ' I've never been more serious in my life! Do you think I could _really_ love harbinger, an albatross, a _curse_ like you?! You must take me for some _fool!_ My affection was nothing but a _mask_ -and that's the sooth of the matter!' "

Winter's eyes widened in shock.

Qrow continued "The calls I made in non-stop succession in trying to get a hold of you, only for you to _deny_ my calls and keep texting me! I left you _voicemails_ , Winter... ... Do you _know_ how gruesome I had to endure to even get a hold of you _now?!_ To talk with you _face-to-face?! Do you know?!_ Do you _know_ the worry, sorrow, and fear that plagued my life, sleep, and waking moments _every_ time you said something so.....crucially shattering that the heavy blows left to me were _nothing_ compared to the pain and scars they left behind, the implications they have _now_ , in everything and my views of you, the wind knocked out of my lungs?! Out of my body?! Do you _know_?! Can you _feel_ just _how I feel?!_ Oh, I bet you just thought it was a _'walk-in-the-park', huh?"_

There was a brief pause of silence.

 _Growing jaded, being pushed, being pulled, I'm unraveling_!

"That wasn't me. Those weren't mine." Winter said slowly, her voice stern despite her shaking body.

"What was-" Qrow began, before she cut him off.

"Whitley has my phone." She told him quickly, subduing her shaking.

"He's my brother, yes." She added immediately.

"How?! ... Isn't...How are you not able to defend yourself against him?! What happened?! I-" Qrow asked in disbelief.

"Whitley took my scroll. I was more _emotional_ than anything else at that moment...tears flowing from my eyelids as I was a sobbing, disbelieving, fearful mess....wasn't thinking of glyph summoning at those moments.. I could have defended myself better, but I..... I did try." Winter began, noticing Qrow's look at her of disbelief.

"My father tackled me, my brother pried for my scroll. He snatched it from my hands as I held onto it... .....My mother took my weapon." She continued.

"How did that-" Qrow inquired being cut off again, concern heard in his voice.

"She ripped my weapon in its sheath and holster around my waist from my body. My father struck me repeatedly, soon getting off of me." Winter continued.

"My brother.... _still_ has my scroll." She trailed off in anger.

She added, a little irritated " _He's_ the one who saw _you_ in the house, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Oh, so this is all _my_ fault now, is it?" He snapped at her.

"No, ...." She replied trailing off.

"It's not your fault that my brother, Whitley, saw _you_...that he saw _us_ in the distance, dancing in the snow...." Winter sighed looking down at him.

There was another brief silence.

"Why can't you get your scroll back?" Qrow asked her, angry but with a quiet tone.

"I mean, you have your weapon, after all." He added.

"Whitley.... I'd have to go through him to get it-which wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that I've been locked in my room, then tormented throughout the day by _him!"_ Winter answered.

"General Ironwood retrieved it for me....I didn't get my weapon by myself." She added.

"Of course he _did_." Qrow sighed.

"Qrow, I _can_ fight for myself, against my entire family if I must but...."

"I know." He sighed.

"But why did you have to wait for _me_ to prompt this _apparently_ new course of action?! Why don't you just go out and-" He began before being cut off.

"-It's _harder_ than you think just to abandon your family! _Especially_ mine!" Winter snapped at him in a sudden rage that immediately ceased.

C _an't find myself when I'm constantly forced to conform_!

His eyes widened at her. At her words. At her actions.

"Qrow, I....I know that what you're going through with your tribe is _tough_ , but-" Winter began quietly before he cut her off.

"Let's not talk about _that_ , Ice Queen." He said harshly.

"I-Ice Queen?" Winter repeated, slightly nervous of what that term meant for her now and in her future.

"It was....kinda _miraculous_ how we've been able to talk _this_ long, huh? _This_ clearly with _no_ interference?" He chuckled, before looking back at her with a deep frown.

"Qrow, the scroll _is_ in _Whitley's_ possession, and I-" Winter began, getting cut off again.

" _Stop_." He told her quietly, the wind slightly whipping past them, moving along betwixt the short, green grass beneath their feet.

"Qrow....." Winter said softly, stepping closer to him.

"Stay where you _are_ , Schnee." Qrow replied, his voice now of a low, warning tone.

"You don't believe me, do you?" She asked him softly.

"Yes, I do, but.... _some_ of the things he texted _sure do_ sound like _you_.... That's _all_ I'm saying...." He sighed, looking away.

She growled in anger, in defiance of the line, saying " _Lies!"_

"You _haven't_ read _everything_ that I have! I-I know.....I _know_ what I _read_...what I _saw_ , what _I_...." Qrow began before he cleared his through throat to clear the pain and dryness of tears and sorrow from his heart before he spoke again.

He did not wish to cry, let alone in front of _her._

He looked to her, their gaze meeting, his face sad, neutral.

He then turned around, no longer facing her, his red cape flowing behind him as he stood still. He then began to walk away into dense Atlesian woodlands, staring the following phrase:

"The enemies you made aren't _all_ hard to see, Schnee, you've also made an enemy of _me_.


	16. How it happened, and now This?

Winter was face flat on her bed, sobbing as tears were streaming down her face, soaking into her bedsheets and pillowcases.

"Winter, what's wrong?" She heard her mother ask her in a loud tone and warmth, to which took Winter by both shock and surprise.

Winter's mother placed a hand on Winter's back, the pressure a form of comfort Winter tensed up at experiencing.

'Twas a rare experience, indeed!

 

_Enemies surround me but the worst appear as friends._

 

Winter hesitated for a moment, whether to tell her mother the truth or not.

Yes, _she_ _was_ her mother, but Winter _still_ didn't quite know if she could trust her.

"I-I....I saw _Qrow!_ And now he _hates_ me because he doesn't believe me that the text messages aren't mine because-" Winter began to babble in sorrow, her mother immediately stopping in her tracks.

" _Qrow?"_ Her mother repeated in shock, her voice becoming a hushed, angry whisper.

"Yes, and now he hates me because I hurt him, but it's not-" Winter continued on, her mother drowning out the sounds of her daughter's voice in the presence of a new realization.

 _'How_ did this happen?!' Winter's mother thought in disbelief.

The aforementioned realization then came to her, causing her to instinctly remember.

Standing a foot or two from the open doorway, from whence Winter entered the room, was General James Ironwood.

Winter's mother turned her head and stared Ironwood straight into his eyes.

He looked at her, then glanced away, realizing the fate that would be coming his way.

_Liars and pretenders only seek to reach their ends._

The door to Winter's room was being softly closed, a clicking noise gently signaling it's completion.

"Winter's sleeping now, so we shouldn't wake her." Ironwood said as he closed the door.

Ironwood then stepped back and to the left, Mrs. Schnee following his foosteps by _every_ step.

She looked at him after he took his last step.

"Winter _was_ able to fight off the remaining multitude of the hordes of grimm she encountered, before residing back here into her room." Ironwood informed her, his hands close to the center of his chest.

There was a brief silence.

"James!" She glared at him.

"J-James?! .. _Why_ are you addressing me by my-" He asked, nervous and taken aback by her new course of action.

"-Because _this_ is the _closest_ you will _ever_ be to me!" She spat harshly.

He looked at her, shocked and silent.

 _"How could you?!"_ She asked him in a growl of sorrow.

She reminded him "You _promised_ me that she wouldn't see him!"

"It's not easy to gain my trust....let alone just break it the a day apart from whence you gained it!" She glared.

"Mrs. Schnee, I-" Ironwood began nervously, before she cut him off.

"Winter _saw_ Qrow?!" Mrs. Schnee asked him in anger.

"Mrs. Schnee, I cannot control Qrow's actions." Ironwood began with his hands now towards his sides, Mrs. Schnee looking at him with a facial expression that lacked an impression of truth to his words.

"There have been _many_ a mission that Winter had been on when Qrow hasn't shown. There have been a multitude missions where I have been, even accompanying Qrow, at times, where Winter had never encountered him let alone come remotely close to doing so." He continued.

"Winter goes on missions that Qrow doesn't go on, and he's done the same in regards to her." He added, choosing his words in this sentence carefully.

"Mrs. Schnee, I cannot control Qrow if I tell him to go on a mission or _not_ to accompany me! Even if I do not tell him _anything_ about the mission or course of action, due to the information he  
gathers, he may still choose to come over on his own belief of the mission's importance or interference with his own- _not_ mine."

She glared at him, her fists clenching in anger.

"Do you just......" She trailed off in disbelief.

There was a brief silence, where she took in everything that he had said, considering to believe him and drop the fiery nature of this issue.

"I don't want to believe it! .... Is that your _only_ line of defense, General?!" She asked him, her voice hissing in anger in her last sentence, disbelief populating her first.

"No, it's not, Mrs. Schnee, but-" Ironwood began, becoming slightly nervous before she cut him off.

"Can't you have people _shot_ -" She asked, her voice a consistent, steady talking volume as he cut her off.

"-For acting against my orders, yes, I can." He answered.

"However, there are certain protocols as to when and where the situation requires that I can do this! I can't just go around and-" He explained with a quick nod.

"How _stupid_ do you think I am?!" She yelled.

"For the nature of your _so-called daughter_ you _can!_ " She hissed.

"Mrs. Schnee, I-" The General began, startled by her reference to an earlier conversation, before she cut him off again.

" _James_......You have _broken_ your promise...... _lied_ to me....... _betrayed_ my trust!" Mrs. Schnee told him in pure fury and hurt.

"Mrs. Schnee, I-" Ironwood tried to explain, before she cut him off once again.

"- _How dare you!_ I can't believe you would.....you just _broke_ the promise you made to me without _any_ regard as to how I feel! How do you _expect_ me to _trust_ you? How do you expect me to be _okay_ with this?! Okay with your _excuses?! Tolerabl_ e of your _excuses_ _!"_ She went off on him, relentless.

"Look at you! You don't even take responsibility for your actions! _How dare you!"_ She continued yelling.

"Mrs. Schnee, I-" Ironwood tried to state, before she cut him off once more more.

"No, you _don't_ get to answer; make _any_ more excuses!" She told him firmly.

"And to think that..." She began, her voice beginning to sound sorrowful, as if it were possessing tears itself.

'Mrs. Schnee?' He thought, concerned by her vocal tone, change, and sound.  
Due his current situation, he remained silent.

"And to think I was going to call you!" Mrs. Schnee told him before she turned around, storming off down the hallway.

After a brief pause to think about it, he yelled after her "Wait!"

She stopped in her tracks, not turning around.

"What...do you mean by that?!" He asked her, his tone of confusion yet concern.

"I meant _just_ what I said!" She hissed before proceeding to storm back off, down the hallway.

He extended his arm to her, then realized not that it was a necessarily fruitless endeavor but that she......that he wouldn't be able to change her pattern of direction down the hallway anyways.

 _'When_ was she going to call me?' He wondered, the eerie thought still present in his mind as he watched her walk away.


	17. Another Mission

"Winter?" Ironwood asked her, knocking gently.

"What?" She replied in sorrow, her face still flat on her bed.

"May I come in?" He asked her softly.

She groaned as Ironwood gently opened her door.

"You've been asleep for a couple of hours." He told her in the same quiet tone as whence he opened the door.

"I have?" Winter asked, her voice the same deep sadness of before. 

"Winter, I need you to go on another mission with me." Ironwood told her softly.

"Another one?" She groaned in pain.

"Yes. But, not now. In a couple of hours, I want you to prepare. The mission will start in a day or two." He informed her.

"Alright...." She groaned.

Ironwood nodded, then closed the door softly.

 

 

 


	18. The Mission And Journey Ahead Leaves Scars For Us All! : Part I

Once back in the field, Winter and Ironwood were ready to engage in battle, their footwear touching the earth below.

"Winter!" Qrow yelled at her in fury, walking up to her rapidly.

Winter was silent, staring at Qrow as he traveled closer.

As they stood beside each other, Qrow sighed, the two becoming silent, both staring at each other with nervous body language to accompany it.

Suddenly getting a call, Ironwood  pulled out his scroll, bringing it closer to his face.

His eyes widened and eyebrows furrowed slightly, not recognizing the number.

'Hmm, that's odd...' He thought, debating whether to answer it.

He shrugged his shoulders briefly, thinking 'Well, I _am_ the General of the Atlesian military. _Of course_ I'm going to get calls from numbers I don't know! I might as well answer _all_ calls that I receive from unknown numbers and callers!'

He then proceeded to quickly press a button on his scroll, answering the call.

As he listened to the person in the other end of the phone, his eyes widened in shock.

" _What?!._......I'll be _right_ there!" He said, his tone turning serious and urgent.

"Winter!" He turned around and yelled to her, getting her and Qrow's attention off of each other.

"I have to go! I'll be _right_ back!" He yelled to her, soon after taking off, bolting up the hill of grass the three all were beneath and within.

Qrow and Winter looked at each other, still silent.

"So, I guess we're on our own now. No Jimmy to stop us from fighting or anything... _else_...." Qrow commented, his scythe at his back.

Winter looked around, noting the approaching grimm.

With that, she withdrew her sword from her hilt.

She then stared at Qrow. He stared back at her.

The two were face-to-face for a moment of silence. Neither of them moved, only took in the details of the others' face, hair, clothing, personality, and aura.

Neither of them knew it, but this battle would change _more_ than just their perceptions of and relationship with one another.

It would change _everything._


	19. The Call

Ironwood P.O.V.

I bolted down the hallway of the Schnee mansion, the memory of the phone call I had received just minutes ago flowing and replaying like a torrent through my mind.

 _'J-James..... Please, he-help m-me!'_  
 _was pleaded by Mrs. Schnee, th_ e _pause_ _possessing her rapid breathing and crying._

 _'_ But isn't Jacques supposed to be hurt?! I mean, I'm not a doctor, but I think that being punched in the jaw with a fistfull of metal is going to at least leave a mark, if not damage to one's face!' I thought in confusion as I continued to run.

I looked around, picking up the pace of my footsteps as I realized the situation was becoming more dire every minute.

I then came to the main door to Jacques' office, which I had entered and exited only a few days ago.

I rembered those moments briefly.

I opened the door with a great speed, my eyes widening as I looked around the office.

There was no sign of her.

I looked around the room, my eyes darting for any clues; any signs of a struggle or of an issue.

My eyes scanned the floor and walls, the eerie paintings in the back of the room beside Jacques' desk that I now _partially_ understood; everything.

However, my results came up empty.

"Where _else_ could she be?!" I wondered as I stepped farther into the room.

Something clicked in my brain, reminding of places I'd heard that she'd frequent: the garden, and perhaps, her room for solitary.

Considering her current state of affairs when she made the call, I did not suppose her to still be in the garden.

I then settled on her room as my next destination. However, I didn't want to leave immediately before checking everywhere else I could.

I took another step forward, looking around as I was getting closer to Jacques' desk.

Upon stepping closer to it, I still noticed papers, but one was oddly strewn on top of the rest, handwritten neatly with ink.

I picked it up, the type of paper slightly a different color of white than the others; an ivory compared to a white; a tea soaked parchment compared to a regular sheet of parchment.

"What's this...?" I murmured, my eyes scanning the paper.

It appeared, at first glance, to be a document pertaining to dust exportation.

But the signer of the document was Mrs. Schnee, her first name visible to me.

But I'd never use it, considering how it'd be highly unprofessional to do so, _especially_ at a time like now.

The document stated:

 _I wish I, lacking luster, being entrusted so to_ _universal_ _containment, kindly institute newfound trade,_ _heading east, west, advancing longitudinally linear._  
 _I also mean, starting_ _towards_ _underprivileged customers, kinder institutional needs, thoughts, heartache, engrossed_ _warrant addressing latter; later._  
 _Gradual_ _endeavors towards mending economic outcry_ _under_ _tyranny, while hearing environmental necessity_ , _youth, old, underserved, having exponential anger, rage, many yearning crime in efforts so a new dust site, exportation, etc., beeth long overdue on declaration now on the world health,_ _is_ _temporarily enduring_ _life_ _in light in existence, kindly endorsing_ _the_ _harboring_ _employment._

_Sincerely Needing_ _Opportunity_ _,_

_W----- Schnee._

"Hmm..." I commented, scanning the document with my eyes once more.

"She doesn't normally sign documents pertaining to dust...." I added quietly.

"She's had a day or two to write this.... But why _now_ , of _all_ times?' I murmured, noting the date at the upper right of the letter being _quite_ recent.

In my confusion, I failed to notice a detail of movement from behind the door.  
I had just recognized it, that fact surprising myself quite a _lot!_

I heard a sniffle, the noise faint, yet noticeable in the silent of this office. This _undeservin_ g office, at that!

I walked over to the door, closing it, but saw nothing behind or near it.

No one.

'What is going on here?!' I thought, beginning to panic slightly.

I immediately calmed myself down, remembering my training, briefly scolding myself in how I let my emotions clog my thinking.

My eyes flowing back to the paper, I thought about the tricks I'd learnt to read certain letters encoding hidden messages within.*  
First, I read each letter of the first word of each sentence.

Doing that, I'd gotten the message:

_I-I-G-S-W._

It didn't make much sense to me, so I tried the other method, remembering to speed up the process, since I was pressed for time.

I read the first letter of each word in each sentence.

Doing this, I had gotten:

I-W-I-L-L-B-E-S-T-U-C-K-I-N-T-H-E-W-A-L-L. I-A-M-S-T-U-C-K-I-N-T-H-E-W-A-L-L. G-E-T-M-E-O-U-T- W-H-E-N-Y-O-U-H-E-A-R-M-Y-C-R-I-E-S-A-N-D-S-E-E-B-L-O-O-D-N-O-T-W-H-I-T-E-L-I-K-E-T-H-E-S-N-O-W-S.

"Wait a minute, _what?!'_ I thought as I pieced together the letters once more.

_I will be stuck in the wall._   
_I am stuck in the wall._   
_Get me out when you hear my cries and see blood not white like the snows._

"Mrs. Schnee, can you hear me?" I asked aloud within the room.

I heard another sniffle, turning to my right.

I stepped to the wall beside the door, moving my left hand along the wallpaper, feeling for any signs of concealment.

I felt a dip in the wall.  
An odd dip, at that, seamlessly covered by the wallpaper.  
The only way I noticed it was by feeling my fingers across the wall.

I had then used my right hand, feeling the crevice, pulling to the left.

The door didn't move.

I switched hands and felt around again, this time finding a small, circular button with my left hand.

I pressed the button and pulled to the left auth both hands, the door sliding open.

I gasped at the sight before me.

Mrs. Schnee, tearful and tear-stained, was curled up on the floor, bawling, shaking, and covered in blood.


	20. The Mission And Journey Ahead Leaves Scars For Us All! : Part II

"So, did you get your scroll back?" Qrow managed to ask her as he swung his scythe, taking out a grimm to his right.

"Huh?" Winter asked, taking out another grimm to her left with a slice of her sword, aimed in the distance.

"Oh, no. I've been packing." She told him, slicing down another grimm.

"Packing? For over a day  _straight?"_  Qrow asked in disbelief.

"No. Well, yes, the General has had me packing for hours. Quite a lengthy amount, in fact. I'm not exactly sure as to  _why,_ though. It is slightly out of the ordinary for him to ask me to pack  _so_   _much_  of my belongings and preparation." She answered, noting the other grimm towards the rear of the horde that approached the two.

"So, you  _didn't_ get your scroll back..." He muttered, taking down a grimm with a swift swing to his left.

"No... " Winter replied, quiet afterwards as she swung her sword.

"I find that _truth_ hard to believe..." He commented, causing her to turn her head at him.

"It  _is_  true!" She countered in anger.

"What did you mean by that? 'No, yes'..." He asked her in a similar tone.

"Well, I.... After I had gotten home, I...had went to my room and..." She began before stopping.

He noticed her pauses, turning his head to face hers.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I...proceeded to...cry myself to sleep." She answered, averting her gaze.

"Oh, boo, poor you." He replied, sarcasm soaking his sentence.

"The General told me I'd slept for a few hours once I had awoken. He had knocked on my door, I presume....essentially, I was instructed to pack a  _vast_ amount of items...and that's how I became so preoccupied that I-" She began, before he cut her off.

 _"How could you?!"_ He spat at her, anger raging through his voice.

"Qrow-" Winter began, being cut off once again.

"No! What is stopping you from retrieving your scroll? You still could've done it!" He hissed at her.

"Qrow, I-I  _wasn't_   thinking of it at the time!" Winter told him.

"Of  _course_   you  _weren't-_ because it  _wasn't_ affecting  _you!"_   He spat, venom coursing through his vocal chords.

"It  _is_   affecting me, Qrow!" She insisted with urgency and sincerity.

"You're not the  _only_   one, Schnee! And, hey, at least  _I've_   done  _more_ than  _cry_ about it!" He pointed out to her, to which she stared at him.

"Qrow..." She began, unsure of what to say.

"Ice Queen..." He growled in response.

"You just...." He started, but didn't finished as disgust rose in his throat.

"You just  _don't...._ " He tried to begin, failing once more.

"Qrow, I-" She tried to state, before he cur her off, knowing what words of warmth may attempt to come out of her icy mouth; chilled, ruthless heart.

"No you don't!" He yelled.

"Don't you  _ever_ say that to me-not ever again!" He told her, getting up in her face.

"You're still my enemy, as far as any of 'us' is ever concerned!" He spat, his glare deepening.

"You just don't.....You'll never...." He trailed off, stepping back and looking to his left, his hands clenching into fists.

Her eyes were filled with sadness and regret.

He tried not to look at, let alone remotely acknowledge, them.

Qrow frowned, silent as he looked ahead at the oncoming threat.

He wanted to say no more of the events.

"Why do you think Ironwood's telling you to pack so much? Do you know if he's planing to take you on another mission or something?" He asked.

"I don't know... And no; I'll have to ask him when he returns." Winter replied swiftly.

 _"If_ he comes back." Qrow pointed out, to which Winter looked at him in shock with slightly widening eyes.

The light of the landscape decreased dramatically within a few seconds, the light of the grassy .area turning into a modest shade 

"What do you mean?" She asked him in shock, noting the approach of more grimm in the distance in conjunction with the sudden weather change.

"Winter, I don't know  _what_   he's doing....Not like any of it's  _really_   my concern, but..." He replied, shrugging his shoulders with a brief chuckle at the end of his sentence before turning serious.

"All I know is that things are starting to get a  _lot_   worse!" He finished, an immense number of grimm proceeding to charge at the two.

Winter then summoned multiple beowolves, griffon, and nevermore to her side. Twenty grimm in total.

Qrow looked around, then took a swing at another grimm.

"Stand still." She told him, to which he tensed up, standing straight.

Silent, he obeyed her command.

Multiple glyphs appeared around the other grimm, from beowolves to creeps to boarbatusks, ursai, and deathstalkers.

Winter then shot forward, moving between and with the glyphs in the accompaniment of precision and speed, launching herself up into the air, landing atop another glyph.

After decimating many grimm, she looked down, noting Qrow's glance up towards her.

She closed her eyes, creating a small dome between the two of them, encompassing the other grimm.

Once created, Qrow looked up, shocked and troubled to see the snow falling around him in such an array; such as matter as this.

She then yelled to him "Qrow, on the count of three, I want you to hold your scythe upwards! Be prepared to be launched into the air! There's a King Taijitu coming over that hill! You can attack it if you follow my lead!"

He frowned, shaking his head.

"Wint-Ice Queen, I....fine." He grumbled, then returning a nod.

He then placed his scythe on the ground before swinging it around him in rapid succession to demolish the approaching beowolves that had traveled too close for comfort. Once they were cleared out the way, he gave a quick nod to Winter.

Upon her platform of a glyph in the sky, she moved her hand, a wave of ice shooting out from the ground, travelling to Qrow. 

Upon impact beneath his weapon, he was shot up into the air, surprised at Winter's power and the weight behind it. Swinging his scythe forward, her positioned the tip of his scythe for the King Taijitu's first head.

He made a direct hit, slicing the head in an instant, being propelled up into the air one again due to his attack.

He then swung to the left, encountering the hissing of its second head.

As his shoes touched the soft ground, he looked around, realizing he did not collide with it.

He then looked straight down the hill, his confusion slightly subsiding as he saw Winter.

She had proceeded to attack the grimm, both from below and above her, with her summons, stationing herself upon her platform in the sky.

But what wound happen if that plan failed?

He then looked up, seeing the second head of the king taijitu rise up from around him from his right, now in front of him.

His eyes widened as he stared at it, fear mounting inside of him.

He then jumped back, then up, firing the gun of his weapon into various parts of its body, distracting it slightly with multiple infliction of minor pain.

Qrow then spun round, striking quickly in the air; however, the king taijitu counterattacked, slinging its tail, hitting Qrow in his stomach, sending him flying backwards into the air.

Qrow grimaced, flying straight into Winter, who turned around and gasped at the sight and impact of the collision, being flown off her platform, the glyph ceasing to dust particles as they collided with the harsh earth below.

Qrow groaned, sitting up, slowly standing to his feet, the ground around him slightly deepened by a few inches in dirt due to the impact it experienced.

Winter coughed, not initially moving.

Qrow paid her no attention, taking a few steps to the side.

She soon pulled her face from the dirt, slowly rising to her knees, looking at the ground with eyes that were brimming with a tear or two. She grimaced in anger, then gripped the ground in her rage and irritance.

 

 

After a few seconds, pausing to take a breath or two, she got to her feet, standing up on slightly wobbly legs. Her summons were still intact, thank goodness.

She turned around, staring at the onslaught of grimm in front of them.

The size had diminished numerously within the course of the fighting aside from the eight or so grimm that remained here, there was the second head of the king taijitu to attend to.

"I've got the taijitu, Ice Queen. You just handle things here." He told her, his voice aching with the notion of even to spout words in her relative direction, let alone  _at_   her.

She shook her head, in an effort to clear it, then nodded.

He didn't wait for her response before running off, bolting for the king taijitu.

He'd fought plenty of them before.

Why was this  _any_  different?

Perhaps it was his emotions for the Ice Queen- _he'd_  never acknowledge them as the reason, however.

After his charge, he jumped up, swinging at its waist, then head, decapitating the grimm with a remarkable ease.

He sighed, still in wonder and awe at how it took  _so long._

Once done, he turned back around, walking back over to Winter, who had just finished destroying the rest of her grimm with her own attacks, her twenty summons now gone in the mere blink of an eye as Qrow had finished off the king taijitu mere moments earlier.

"Alright, Ice Queen, we're done." He told her, to which she glanced, nodding lightly.

"Now, let's get to finding the General." He added, to which she nodded silently yet again.

The two then proceeded to walk away from the area at which they came.


	21. He's not Right for You

Ironwood's P.O.V.

After carefully pulling her out of the closet, I lifted her up and held her in my arms, opening the door to leave the office with my momentarily free right hand.

I noticed the blood from her body, running down her body, began to seep into my clothing. The rate was quite rapid, causing a mild, but fleeting alarm.  

"Mrs. Schnee, what  _happened_  to you?!" I asked her in concern and shock.

She was blubbering and crying in response, unable to respond back to me in a cohesive, understandable sentence.

Either that, or she just  _didn't_  want to.

"Mrs. Schnee, it'll be alright!" I reassured her as I took a few steps forward at a moderate pace, careful not to walk too quickly, as to injure either of us.

I paused briefly, noting someone in my peripheral vision, in the distance, to my right.

I turned my head, noting Whitley as he looked at me. I could only see one and a half of his eyes, widened with interest and slight shock.

I turned my head in the opposite direction with a frown, to my left, and went around the corner in the same direction.

"Where can I go....Where is you room?" I asked her, murmuring the first sentence quietly to himself.

We passed remnants of the garden outside as I carried her, seen through the glass.

She was silent until we reached the end of the short hallway.

I could hear her begin to mumble.

"Is it over here?" I asked her, to which her mumbling and cries had a sharpening in volume, if only for a moment.

I took this as a yes, turning to the left again, taking a few steps forward, seeing another door, downcast in the slight, gradually deepening shade of the new hallway.

"Is this it?" I asked her, to which her cries presumed to get louder than before.

I nodded, supposing this was the room, quickly freeing my right hand, toggling the doorknob until  the door opened.

I sat her down on a small bench to the left of the room as I entered, soon after quickly closing the door.

"Mrs. Schnee, remain still, alright?" I told her, to which she hadn't quite responded.

I looked into her eyes, noting her tire and apathy, her cries having stopped the instant we entered the room.

I then proceeded to walk over to the bathroom sink, gathering the various supplies I could scavenge from the cabinets- _anything_   that might've helped.

There wasn't a lot of materials, but I collected what I could.

I walked back over to her, pulling a chair up to where she sat.

I took a sponge, dunking it into the bucket I brought over with me and sat up near her feet.

It soaked up the cleaning solution I had earlier mixed, of water and hydrogen peroxide. It foamed with bubbles, surprisingly enough.

"Mrs. Schnee...."I began quietly, allowing my left hand to move the sponge up to the right side of her face.

She was silent, not replying to or looking at me.

The blood, slightly dry but mostly runny, had been removed from the side of her face onto the surface of the sponge. We heard the water rush in a brief torrent from the sponge back into the bucket upon its first entrance with blood on its face.

I then brought the sponge up again, gently rubbing the left side of her face once more, telling her in the same tone "Jacques isn't a  _nice_   person..."

"I know." She stated softly, causing my eyes to widen.

"You do?!" I asked her, exclaiming in my quietness. 

"Yes." She replied, barely nodding.

"He's not right for you...not  _anyone..."_  I told her softly.

"He..." She began before cutting herself off.

"Yes, Mrs. Schnee?" I asked her, lowering my tone.

She did not reply to me.

I continued to clean her face, silent.

She hissed as I did so, now moving the sponge to the middle of her face.

She was silent afterwards, her grimace deepening as she leaned forward.

I placed my right hand behind the back of her neck, in an effort to steady her.

"Ouch." She hissed, to which I immediately retracted my hand.

I looked at my glove, the index finger possessing a spot of fresh blood.

"Mrs. Schnee, I..." I trailed off in shock, appalled at my carelessness.

 _"How_   did you not feel that?!  _Why_  didn't you feel that?!" She hissed at me, to which Iooked at her apologetically.

"Mrs. Schnee, I-" I began before she cut me off.

"No! Tell me  _why_   you couldn't feel that!" She growled at me, to which I was taken aback.

I then nodded firmly, sitting up straight.

I took the tip of the glove of my right hand with my left hand. I pulled gently, soon slipping the glove off my hand to reveal it to her as metallic. I waved each finger in a slow, similar, robotic motion.

She stared at it, her eyes widening in disbelief and fear.

"I'm sorry." She told me quietly.

"Don't be-it's not the first time." I answered, a slight shrug of my shoulders present.

I could tell that my reply had brought her a visual tenseness and worry.

I then stopped, placing the glove back onto my right hand.

"Now, let me get you finished being cleaned up." I told her, retrieving the sponge from the bucket.

For a while, I worked on cleaning all of her wounds, from her arms and hands down to her feet; I wiped away the blood and hoped to ease her pain as best I could. A few minutes afterwards, due to her wounds being clean, I used gauze to take care of the bigger wounds, such as her back and stomach, while I used bandages to take care of damage to her forehead, finger, and toes.

She was silent the entire time, aside from a frequent yelp or grimace in pain. Aside from this, a lack of apathy, but calmness, despite the current situation, seemed to reign over her. I, too, was subject to this calmness.

As I had finished bandaging her up, the door that I had formerly closed opened.

"Hey, General, where did you go?" Qrow asked upon his opening of the door.

Winter stared on with shock, adding "General Ironwood?".

Both I and Mrs. Schnee looked at the two in silence.


	22. I don't want to talk about This anymore

Qrow and Winter walked down one of the main hallways of the Schnee mansion, their feet tapping lightly, echoing throughout the area.

Both Qrow and Winter were silent.

Although, Winter did wish to speak.

As they continued to take steps down the hallway, they could only hear the sounds of their feet, alongside the silence that the moments and instances where they did not press their footwear to the tile floor beneath them.

It had been a _long_ time since they'd both been in here  _together._

The _last_ they were here, Qrow had carried her, sleepy from the aforementioned kiss and dancing of that night, into the mansion. After walked through the hallways, making it to her room, he had laid her down upon her bed; the darkness of the night, aside from the moonlight and occasional household glows of bright, white light-bulbs, had enveloped the early couple.

The memory of warmth, filled with the pleading of her to stay, the necessity of him to leave, the love, blushing, and affectionate tokens of the night concealing their identities to the best of its ability;  _all_   was remembered in this silence. The uncomfortability of it in this moment, too, is what arose betwixt them, no matter how much they  _both_   hated it;  _both_   wished for it to go away and leave them be.

"Oh, hello, you two!" Whitley abruptly said, appearing with merry in front of the two.

They did not speak back in the quick pause that occurred before Whitley began to speak again, saying "Are you looking for General Ironwood? He's with mother. I saw them down the hallway just a few hours ago. She was all bloody and...He was carrying her....I think they may've gone out into the garden...or even....back to her room....The monstrous-"

"Are you certain it was blood?" Winter asked him, cutting him off.

"Yes, there was no wine of any kind." He told her swiftly.

"What.......Again? How bad is she?" Winter sighed, Qrow's eyes widening slightly.

"Worse. I've... _never_  seen her like this..." Whitley told her quietly.

"You get used to it." She muttered in response, to which Whitley was slightly taken aback, wondering  _just_   how much knowledge he lacked about his household and family dynamic.

"You might want to hurry." He advised quickly, his tone soft.

The two were silent, Winter saddened and nervous while Qrow's face became one of irritance and confusion.

Before they could reply, he immediately continued by saying "Oh, Winter, I found your scroll."

At this notion, Qrow's eyes widened slightly, shifting towards Winter's eyes, who looked down and to her right.

"Would you like to know where?" He asked, glancing for a millisecond at Qrow's gaze, then his older sister's.

"Yes." Qrow answered, slight anger that he was trying to keep down beginning to bubble over.

"It happened to appear beneath your bed, Winter." Whitley began, turning to his sister and showing the scroll in his hand, waving it for show, before she cut him off.

"It  _wasn't_   there! Shut up! You're the one who-" she began in an enraged voice and tone of emotions before Qrow had cut her off.

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore." He fumed firmly, beginning to walk off ahead of them.

Winter was silent, watching his pace quicken.

Whitley smiled softly, replying "Oh, sorry, Winter, but this is what you get! Your behavior.....and choice of lover....quite appalling, indeed! This is for the better! Besides, I'm sure  _you_   wouldn't want-"

"-Silence!" She hissed at him, her hatred beginning to soar.

"You  _may_ want to hurry, sister! I don't think he'll  _wait_ for  _you!"_  He smiled.

She glared, her hand upon her weapon.

There was a 'sshhhhhhing' noise as Winter had unsheathed her weapon.

"Winter." Qrow told her sternly, stopping in his place.

There was silence from her as she turned to see him from behind, halting her movement and becoming tense.

"Keep up." He ordered in the same tone.

She obeyed his command, noting that, as before in the field of battle, he hadn't waited for her confirmation. He paused briefly, then continued to walk forward at the same pace as before. Winter held her unsheathed weapon at her side, bringing it closer as she glared at her brother, who only waved with pleasant merry, and walked on.


	23. Stay with Me

Ironwood P.O.V.

"General Ironwood, are you alright?" Winter asked me, to which I stood up with a warm chuckle.

I replied "Yes, Winter, I am fine. I'll be right out, don't worry." as I grabbed the door handle.

I then closed the door softly.

Silence followed.

"Mrs. Schnee, I'm going to go talk with them, it won't be long." I told her, moving my left arm toward the door.

"Oh, the supplies!" I realized, stopping myself.

I then proceed to gather all of the items I had collected and walk back into the bathroom, properly sterilizing them and placing them back where they needed to go.

Afterwards, I had walked back into the room, taking steps over to the door.

As I moved my right hand, placing it on the doorknob, my left hand followed a similar motion of movement. I suddenly felt something grab the lower portion of my left arm.

I stopped moving in response to the tugging, turning my head to look in the direction of the motion.

"Wait." Mrs. Schnee told me softly, her hand grabbing my arm, her head down, her eyes and expression shielded from my view.

 _"Stay with me._... _Please_..... I don't want to be left alone. ... I'm  _scared._ " She continued in the same tone.

I stopped, turning fully to her, silence filling the air for a brief moment.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Schnee-I'll find out who did this to you." I told her firmly.

"You already know." She spoke softly, the realization causing my eyes to widen.

"What?! But Jacques' supposed to be in the hospital, right? No one simply recovers from a fistful of metal on their jaw!" I exclaimed.

"It.....It was  _because_   of him, he-he....." She began before trailing off, silent, her eyes beginning to water and brim with tears.

"Shhhh, hey, it's alright. You can cry." I told her softly, gently stepping closer, rubbing her back with my right hand.

She halted her tears, replying a little louder and firmer than before "N-No, ... I'm tired....I have a headache.....I need to lie down....I need my al-alcohol...."

"Mrs. Schnee, if I may..." I began, her nodding before I scooped her back up into my arms.

"Mrs. Schnee, what you need is some  _rest._  No alcohol." I told her as I took a few steps forward and turned a small bedside corner, soon beside her bed.

I then sat her down gently, placing her head atop a pillow.

I then looked around the room for some more covers, to which I found. They were a light blue, mixed with swirls of deep blue; a fluffy, warmth-preserving cover set that looked untouched for years, despite its  _dear_  necessity of bringing its designated task-warmth, protection from the cold, and comfort.

I grabbed and held the blankets in my hands, throwing them softly across Mrs. Schnee.

I was shocked, realizing I had covered her _entirely._

Scrambling to get the covers off, I heard a small outburst of happiness-a chuckle-from beneath them.

I slowly removed the covers from above her head, pulling them down to reveal her face.

It was saddened, but briefly had a feeling of warmth that I had been taken aback by.

"I remember when I used to use this cover...these covers...." She said, the remnants of a smile poking, but never truly appearing-at least not yet-upon her face.

"I presume they were pleasant memories?" I asked her, a small smile present on my face at the sudden air of lightheartedness that surrounded us.

She nodded, saying "Yes. very pleasant.", her voice quiet, yet faintly happy.

"Please, General....James....keep  _our_   daughter safe." She told me, reaching her hand out to touch my left arm, holding it once again in the same place as previously mentioned.

I cleared my throat with the movement of my right hand, blushing in irritance with a light but evident frown, saying "I-I will, Mrs. Schnee, but I'm not-"

"According to yourself, you  _are_   her father, so..." She reminded him, to which he was silent.

"Well, I.... I'm not. But...I'm trying my best to-" I began, before she cut me off.

"-Yes, I know." She told him, watching his movements.

Her hands flowed back to her blankets, their warmth enveloping her deeply.

"Mrs. Schnee, I must be going, now." I told her, taking my steps away from her bedside, turning the corner of her bed.

Mrs. Schnee sniffled, sleep threatening to overtake her and another pleading outburst.

"General....." She murmured, beginning to tire quicker.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Schnee. I'll be right back. Get some  _rest_. I'll protect you." He told her firmly.

"Okay..." She continued in her murmur.

I stayed where I was until I heard her soft breathing, convincing me that she had fallen asleep.

I turned the doorknob, opening the door.

In front of me, I saw Qrow and Winter as I stepped forward, silently closing the door behind myself.


	24. The Plan General?

As he closed the door behind him, Ironwood made sure the door was secure, the door knob jiggling slightly as Qrow and Winter stepped back.

"So, what's the plan, General?" Qrow asked him, surprisingly nonchalant.

"Why were you asking me to pack so much, sir?" Winter chimed in, nervous with her inquiry.

"Well, Winter, " the General began, turning to her.

"I was originally planning more for us to accomplish while on our mission. After the grimm were defeated, I was going to tell you more information about some people Atlas needs to check up on, in which I, you, and a few others are in charge of. Afterwards, there's...more classified information to deal with." he finished, his hand close in a fist, centered around his chest.

"But sir-" Winter began before he turned to Qrow.

"Qrow, your assistance was appreciated." He told him.

"Sure." Qrow shrugged his shoulders in a sarcasm filled reply.

"Sir, that....doesn't answer my question  _entirely..."_  Winter brought  up once more, to which the General turned back to her.

"And how not, Winter?" He asked her with slight intrigue and a warmth-expelling chuckle, a smile upon his face as he took a step forward.

"Well, General Ironwood, it's just.......is there _anything else._... _any other_   reasons why you've asked me to pack  _so_  many materials? I don't believe this mission will require the immense amount of items you requested of me." She explained with a slight hesitance to the edge of her voice, standing in place.

General Ironwood sighed briefly, clearing his throat.

He then began walking forward.

"Patience, Winter. ..... I  _suppose_   I should enlighten you slightly on more information..." He nodded, to which she looked on with intrigue at the new details she would bare witness to, immediately walking in rapid succession to stay in step with him.

"Hey, what about  _me?!"_ Qrow called out to them.

"Oh, don't worry, Qrow! We'll be back! I'll contact you!" Ironwood replied down the hallway.

Although, Winter remained silent.

"So, I guess I should be on my way, huh?" Qrow muttered to himself, stuffing his hands into his pockets, his eyes following the General and Winter down the hallway.

He stood still, leaning against the door frame, the sunlight coming through the windows across the hallways sending shadowing figures, moving like quick sundials, across the cold, tile floor beneath all of their footwear.


	25. Promotion

As they turned the corner, they kept walking.

After some feet or so, Winter having still remained silent, she soon broke said silence in her urgency and eagerness.

"General Ironwood, what-" She began, before he cut her off with a swift movement of his hand, halting his step and she followed suit.

"Winter," Ironwood began, warmth still present within his heart, mind, and face.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't mind the fact that I had requested you to pack so much." He stated.

She stared, her eyes showing regret in her aforementioned actions.

"I have noticed how you've been improving through your training." He continued, the smile and warming accompanyment never ceasing or leaving.

"If you don't mind, I've made some extra space available in my ship for lengthy missions." He added.

"General Ironwood..." Winter trailed off, quickly beginning to place the pieces of the puzzle she was presented together with slightly widening eyes.

"You've been training for years to become an Atlesian Military Specialist." He mentioned in reminiscence.

"Although I'm not your father, I......with the presence of longer, higher-ranking missions, you get closer to your dream career and farther away from here." He finished, looking straight ahead within the pause he left in the open air of space and time; of question and reason.

"Oh, General Ironwood!" Winter smiled, quickly springing forward in glee, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you!" She continued, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes.

"It's alright, Winter. This endeavor is well earned." He chuckled, hugging her back.

"You and your mother.....and your sister; I'll help you all as much as I can throughout this.... _I promise."_   He told her, to which she nodded, a sniffle erupting from her.

He rubbed her back consolingly as she held in the years and the tears she never expected to feel weigh in and down on her; the moment was one of a joyous occasion, and she was going to keep it that way.

"When we get back on my ship, we can discuss future missions I already have lined up for you in Vacuo, Mistral, and Menagerie. You will be given an airship of your own, which you may use in missions and liesurely travel. However, in certain missions, due to secrecy or another precaution, you, I, and other specialists, supervisors, and Councilmembers may stay privy to a few specific airships, such as my own." He explained to her.

She nodded, replying "Thank you so much, G-General I-Ironwood, I-I.....I'm thrilled at the opportunity of advance."

He pulled back from the hug, looking her straight in her eyes with pure genuinity.

"Not opportunity, Winter. Promotion."  He told her, the smile not fading once, but growing, in fact.

She then pulled back, beaking the hug in its entirety.

The bond was still there, however, not ceasing due to the hug's cease of existence.

"Now, shall I begin to go over accompanying requirements?" He asked her, beginning to walk, placing his hands behind his back and beginning to take steps forward.

"Yes." She replied with urgency, placing her hands in the same position, following suit in his pattern of walking.

"Oh, and Winter?" He added, leaving himself a brief pause to catch ahold of her attention, which he figured was immediate.

His findings were of instant accuracy.

"If you ever wish to contact Qrow, or call Qrow, see him or fight with him on a mission....although I still......although we still have our disagreements, many, serious differentiating viewpoints and arguments from time to time, I won't halt you two seeing each other if and  _when_   your relationship mends. I will always need to be notified aforehand when he is with you, in case I need to make adjustments. When another person accompanies you, even if its just your sister when she gets of the age to leave here, I'll need to make notifications, update information into my personal-oftenly as well as public-notifications, notes, and databases, and possibly fill out more paperwork, requests, lodging, and commence more phone calls, and so on and so forth." He explained.

"You'd be surprised the work that adding solely one more person to a mission requires." He chuckled in a conclusionary statement.

She was silent, nodding quickly. He noted the movement as he looked at her with his peripheral vision, surprised to not hear an auditory response of emotion.

He decided he'd mention it to her later, rather than as of now, as they walked down the light, blinding, brigteningly white hallway, formerly cold, but slowly gathering a faint, light sense of warmth.

Similar to the feeling of warmth that a place formerly filled with rage, deep pain, and hostility gives you whence, with the removance of the people who have given you such anger, such tears, hatred, and sorrow, now becomes one of light airy warmth of the most uplifting, powerful, pleasantry and happiness.

Warmth like the brewing, bubbling heart of the Ice Queen herself, Winter Schnee, and her new position and father figure, within the Atlesian Military.


	26. Why don't you summon, Mrs. Schnee?

Ironwood P.O.V.

I sat on Mrs. Schnee's bed, returnin from my debriefing of Winter, which had lasted a couple of hours. Four, to be exact.

Her eyes and movement were sleepy, having awoken a slight time earlier.

"Mrs. Schnee?" I asked her softly.

"Hmm?" She inquired back in a similar tone, tilting her head to try and get a better view of my face.

"Mrs. Schnee, why don't you summon?" I asked.

She turned her head, silent.

After a brief moment, she replied, continuing to look down and to her right "Jacques."

"I used to do it all the time before we met...and fell in 'love'.....He disapproves of it..... He doesn't want me to....." She added.

Afterwards, she remained silent.

I could feel as if she wanted to say more, but her mouth stayed shut tight.

"Well, forget Jacques! Why not do it for me; a friend? Or for yourself, better yet!" I advised, standing up and clearing my throat for emphasis and clarity.

There was an air of silence that followed.

An icy blue, light, glowing glyph appeared on the floor, its intricate patterns similar to what I'd previously seen from Winter.

A glowing mass began to form from beneath the glyph, elicited by a new excitetement; motivation.

"My glyph summoning is different from that of my daughters." She began to explain as the summon began its creation to life.

"Winter knows that she can summon her enemies, her forefallen foes, to her side in battle. However, my summoning can also summon my allies; my friends, although I'm not privy to many." She continued, moving her right hand gently as her summon emerged, its shape transmuting from an amorphous mass of energy to an expertly detailed, well defined replica of-.

"I can summon Jacques. I won't. Although I have done so once before, I cannot bare the onflow-onslaught-of memories." She added.

"For instance, I can summon you." She mentioned, the summon finishing its mirror-like transformation.

Everything was the exact same, aside from the eyes and glow, of course.

I stared at it, my fully widened eyes meeting a pair of glowing, light blue eyes, surprised due to their eyebrow expression.

Every last detail, down to the insignia engraved upon my pistol-my weapon of choice, may I add-was exactly precise, for the entirety of it all.

"When I know who's a foe or a friend, an enemy or an ally, the summoning is much more rapid. Howe'er, when the person is on rocky terms with me, or in the middle, such as you..." She began once again, the summon beginning to fizzle like a gradually damaged electronic signal.

She finished "....their summon becomes much harder to commence. .... It's best just not to think too hard or too much about it." as the summon dissipated within the second pause she left, the glyph ceasing in immediacy as well.

"Oh." I nodded quietly, following the crystals into the air until the left my degree of vision with my left, human eye.

"I'm sorry-" I began before she cut me off.

"-It's alright, General, James..." She trailed off, her hand beginning to clench gently.

"I suppose you cannot help it." She sighed quietly to herself, looking down as he placed a hand on her shoulder in consolation.

She didn't move in response to it, but appreciated the light gesture of concern.

The concern at all.


	27. Mission of Ens

_Everything is breaking right before my eyes._

General Ironwood, Winter, and Qrow-all out in the field together, fighting grimm on another mission.

The three continued to scour and comb the landscape with ease, Ironwood toward the center of the grassy valley, while Winter and Qrow were heading up the hill towards flat ground.

As they trecked upwards, the air was silent between them, perforated with the snarls of grimm and the shots of Ironwood's pistol.

Once reaching the top, they began to walk at a moderate pace.

Qrow and Winter, after having defeated many a grimm prior to this, paused for a brief moment.

In this instance, Qrow had checked his scroll, seeing a recent message, his hands beginning to shake.

Winter had looking down at her hands, quiet.

"Stop." He growled at her, his voice quaking.

"Huh?" She stated as she brought her face up slightly.

"Stop contacting me." He repeated in his steady growl, stuffing his scroll back into his pocket in an instant.

He was still shaking.

He held back his tears and emotions very well, although winter could see the tears staring to brim at his eyes and the rage bubbling inside him.

 _"Stop this!"_  He yelled, swinging his sword, teardrops beginning to appear at the corners of his eyelids, flowing against his face through the air that whipped around them.

Winter quickly blocked with her sword, neutral.

"Stop it!" He continued as she swung harder from the opposite direction, causing Winter to  step back and keep her guard up, still not showing any emotion.

"It wasn't me! I  _love_  you!" She protested.

He swung harder as tears threatened increasingly to flow-the  _last_ thing he wanted!

_Looking at you here and now, I see someone that I don't recognize!_

_"Winter, what's this thing I see?!"_ Qrow asked her as he fought with increasing intensity, standing back, walking in a circle around her.

 _"Who is staring back at me?!"_ He continued, managing to keep the waterfall that was his heart at bay.

His mind would not allow it.

 _"A stranger to my heart has filled my mind!"_ He proclaimed to her, angered to the depths of his core; his inner being.

"Qrow, I'm not-" Winter protested, glaring with menace.

_Mirror, help me!_

"I mean, I  _could've_ done more, but.... " She trailed off aloud.

_Who am I?_

"It's not like I haven't tried!" She finished firmly.

In the brief pause that existed, Winter looked to her left.

She then turned around, looking around the area.

After a few moments, she took a step forward, her eyes off into the distance.

Qrow's mind floated back to his semblance, and its repercussions.

 _"Winter, look out!"_  Qrow yelled at her, noting a nevermore that had appeared, its claws aimed at her neck, upper chest, and shoulders in an attempt to pick her up, flying rapidly to its target.

Winter had turned around, her eyes widened at the sight before her.

Within the brief second as she turned her head, she could her the faint voice of General Ironwood calling out to her in warning and fear.

Everything was in slow motion, her eyes observing every bit of her surroundings in such a brief series of seconds.

 _"Qrow!"_ She exclaimed, looking forward and up to see a bright mass of feathers and talons, followed by bright red blood.

 

She noted the absence of pain; the nonexistence of the impact as the mass began to separate.

 

She looked up, noting that Qrow had jumped up in time, slicing the nevermore in half, saving her life.

Despite the anger, he still loved her deeply.

This love, he tried his hardest to push deep down; to halt, to never let resurface once again.

 _"I'm not always going to be around to save you, Winter!"_ He spat to her, hatred filling his voice.

 _"I know. I'm sorry. I'll get better-I'll improve! I'll_ _ **change,**_ _Qrow!"_ She promised in sincerity, her legs consistently planted firmly within the landscape of grass and gentle, now occasional winds.

 _"You'll_ _ **have**_ _to if you_ _ **ever**_ _want to _____!"_ He told her in brusque, his eyes staring straight back into hers.

"T-To what?!" She asked him, not hearing him completely, shaking her head.

" _You'll_ _ **have**_ _to if you_ _ **ever**  want to _ _love me again_ _!_ " He repeated in the same tone.

Same sentence.

Same way.

_Exactly._

_*Piano Progression Of The Second Half Of Mirror Mirror Part II.*_

As the music played in Winter's mind, the scene before her began to fade. 

She was back into the realm of eternal darkness; of fuzziness, the absence of warmth. 

Looking around, in her confusion, she began to cry.

Within a few seconds, Winter woke up and gasped for air, coughing and sputtering. When she came to, she took a deep breath and gave a slow exhale.


	28. That's Why...Thats Why I saved Her..

The beeping of the EKG, EEG, autonomous ventilation equipment, and other necessary items and equipment could still be heard in their continuance of function and operation.

After a brief pause in conversation, Qrow looked down and to his right, her arms resting atop his thighs as he leaned over in a hunch, tired.

Oscar proceeded to begin softly talking with Ozpin.

"Have you ever been in a situation like this before?" Oscar asked him.

'Well, not  _exactly_ like his, but, yes, over time I have managed to fall in love once.' Ozpin replied.

"Who was she?" Oscar asked with slightly more intrigue.

'She was a woman of kindness, warmth, caring, loyalty, and power; she loved her creations, but me to a  _vastly_  deeper degree.' Ozpin answered with ease and earnest.

"How did you meet her?" Oscar muttered to him.

'She and I have known each other for.... _thousands_   of years _,_  to say the least.' Ozpin replied, his pause noting the importance of his diction.

"That doesn't  _exactly_   answer my question, Ozpin." Oscar muttered.

'We've known each other since the very beginning of our existence. We were  _very_ close; our love was  _immensely_   intimate-in psychological terms, initially-, deep, protectional, passionate. Although that time is now gone, I believe that....even though her time  _will_   come to an end, I wish to be the one who says the final words she will ever process to her.' Ozpin told him, his voice quiet yet firm.

Before Oscar could say anything else, he heard a voice.

"Oz, why do you keep-" Qrow began before Oscar sighed.

"I'm  _not_ Ozpin! I'm Oscar Pine! And well, I, uh..." Oscar began, fumbling with his words, his hands moving in nervousness.

"I have this kinda...thing....I can do?" Oscar offered in an unsure manner.

He shook his head in immediate irritance at Ozpin's critique of diction afterwards, muttering "Shut up, I know, I'm getting there."

"I'll still be here." Oscar told him before his eyes and body glowed green, the transferring of the  new soul in control taking place.

"Hello, Qrow. It's good to see you again." Ozpin greeted him warmly.

"Hey. So, your little parlor trick is that you can..." Qrow trailed off, waiting for him to finish.

"....Oscar Pine and I share the same body. Momentarily, I can be the one in control, in charge, of the body that both our souls inhabit. You already know of my past....." Ozpin answered, trailing off.

Qrow nodded, silent.

"Hey, Qrow, hang in there. I'm sure the both of you will be alright. In time, your love  _will_ mend. Even mine has done so....a long time ago, of course, but still. Believe me, Qrow, if it can happen, to an extent, with  _me,_   then I certainly wouldn't doubt it could happen with you and Winter." He added, a warm smile present in his initial reminiscence.

"Who  _is_ that? The person you fell in love with? How 'long ago' are we talking about? It's not Gly-" Qrow inquired before Ozpin cut him off.

"-No, not Glynda- _many_   years prior to before I met her.  Besides, I've noticed over the years at Beacon at how James has taken a fancy to her. It's rather amusing, in a cute way." Ozpin replied with a chuckle.

He then became more serious, stating firmly "Her real identity is something I'd rather keep close to my chest; you understand."

Qrow watched him.

Before Qrow could ask him any more questions, Ozpin stated quickly "Oh, I have to go now. I'l talk with you later, I suppose! Until then, Oscar shall relay to you my messages." as he stood up.

He's eyes then glowed again, his souls transferring back as Oscar sat down, huffing.

"I  _hate_  that." He breathed in irritance in an effort to catch his breath.

"Oscar, " Qrow began.

"Huh?" Oscar asked, bringing his attention back to Qrow.

"So, you know earlier? When I said that we-" Qrow began before Oscar cut him off.

"Yes, I do." He answered back breathlessly.

"Right. .....This reminds me of our first battle together...." He began.

Oscar looked at him, still panting, but bringing his attention to him.

"....Not like romantically....but on the field....the first battle where I saved her life." Qrow clarified, to which Oscar managed to nod.

"I hated her. I was a mess that day. I'd had enough of.....the details I won't get into, but....the messages she had been texting me...the unanswered calls and voicemails...just  _enough._  I...we fought for moments, which felt like  _hours-_ to me, at least. But....even though she....I still love her.,,,that's why...that's why I saved her....I hate to admit it, but....I _still_   love her..." Qrow explained, hanging his head.

"Oh. .... Ozpin says.... 'Well, that might not be such a bad thing, I suppose.; " Oscar managed to get out.

"Why do you-does _he._..say that?" Qrow asked him, intrigued slightly as he lifted his head to meet Oscar's gaze.

 _"I_    think it's because....You never know....things  _might_   get better.....even though they seem pretty.... _awful,_  to say the least." Oscar answered, slightly nervous.

"Yeah, you  _may_   be right-both of you." Qrow nodded.

After a brief pause of silence, coughing and sputtering was immediately heard from the other side of the room.

"Winter!" Qrow exclaimed as he stood up in shock to her outburst.

She continued coughing and gasping for air, tears began streaming down the sides of her face.

"Someone! Anyone get a doctor in here!" He yelled, turning to his right and quickly stepping out into the hallway, calling for medical assistance.

"She'll be alright, Qrow." Ozpin told him calmly, having switched moments prior.

I'm sure of it." Ozpin finished in a brief nod before switching back to allowing Oscar to have control once again.

'I'm sure of it.'

The phrase rang in Qrow's ears moment after her heard it, attempting to calm him down.

The reassurance was deafening.


	29. So Much for making Amends

"Who is she to you?" The doctor asked, taking a few steps forward.

The doctor possessed tan skin, a black, full mustache, a coat of black, yellow, and red, green eyes, and black hair, gray adorning its short sides.

"What?" Qrow asked, sitting in the same chair as before, bringing his head up from leaning over, his elbows on his thighs like before.

The doctor before him, unbeknownst to his knowledge, happened to be none other than Dr. Arthur Watts.  

"What is she to you? Is she your girlfriend, wife, friend, acquaintance-" Watts began before being cut off.

"I don't..... _I don't know, okay?"_  Qrow replied in a sigh of irritance, his shoulders falling slightly with a brief shrug.

"Look, I'm not interested in your personal affairs. I just need to know for paperwork purposes." Watts told him clearly, stepping toward one of the many machines.

"I don't know....I wouldn't exactly call her a friend.....I've known her too long to be her acquaintance...." Qrow trailed off quietly.

Watts nodded, saying "That's alright. How did you meet her? Have you ever been close to her?" 

"I met her on a mission once. Sure, we fight all the time, but...we've haven't always been that way. ..... On occasion, we cooperate with each other. Lately, we've been a bit worse, but...." He trailed off, looking down in his brief pauses, his eyes scanning the floor beneath his newly crossed arms as his posture gradually changed for one of leaning over with arms on your thighs to one of sitting up straight in a chair.

"So, you've been friends before, I take it? And closer?" Watts inquired, eyeing him.

"And she is whom?" He added quickly.

"You know who she is. No need to ask me." Qrow frowned deeply in irritance.

"And I'm  _not_   answering that last question!" He added in immediacy.

"It's quite alright to have a friend  _or_   significant other, let alone a former-" Watts began before Qrow cut him off.

 _"I said_   I wasn't answering that!" He repeated, his tone rising slightly.

Watts nodded, scribbling down three words onto the clipboard papers in the statement of affiliation.

Qrow looked at it from where he sat as Watts brought down his clipboard to Qrow's eye level.

Upside down due to the angle of the papers, he saw the word that Watts had written:

"(Former) Significant Other?"

Qrow frowned deeper at this notion.

He stood up, his hands clenching close together at his sides.

After Watts had walked in a few moments earlier, Winter was beginning to become stabilized.

Qrow, still standing, had kept his eyes on Winter as equipment was removed from and added to her, being that her new state of awareness, consciousness, and breath ability required medical treatment alterations.

"Poor child. Looks as if she's had nightmares..." Watts commented as he noted how the tears continued to stream down her face.

Qrow was silent, still watching.

"There. Let's see....I've made a few modifications, so the new states, standards, and measurements should keep her steady and stable." He replied, scribbling down on his clipboard with a sliver pen, containing a miniature, specially engraved "w".

"Now, if I'm correct, she was..." Watts trailed off, waiting for him to finish.

"Attacked by a grimm.... A Hydro, to be exact." Qrow answered in the same tone.

"Well, it could have been worse. Just be thankful it wasn't a group of lancers, let alone a Queen Lancer, at that!" Watts advised, scribbling more notes down onto the papers upon his clipboard.

"Ah, yes, name?" He asked, looking up at Qrow.

"Mine? Qrow. Qrow Branwen." Qrow stated clearly.

"Do you need my name as well?" Oscar asked in hesitance, standing up.

An eerie feeling of nervousness overtook him, surfacing from Ozpin's soul.

"Why, certainly. I don't see why not." Watts replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oscar Pine." Oscar told him firmly.

"Alright, then." Watts nodded, the brief scribbling of his pen commencing afterwards.

"Well, I'll be back soon to run some tests later. For now, she needs to spend her time in recuperation from her latest injuries. Granted, she is better than afore, but her improvement will most likely be  _gradually_  positive." He informed then before stepping out of the room.

After Watts was couple of steps down the hall, Ozpin said quietly "Qrow! We need to get out of here as fast as possible!"

"Why's that, Oz?" Qrow asked in a mutter of melancholy.

"That man.....He is Arthur Watts." Ozpin informed him firmly.

"Arthur Watts?" Qrow exclaimed, lowering his voice.

"Yes-another man from my past. James' past. We have to leave here as quickly as possible!" Ozpin told him with urgency, his voice soft.

"Alright, then. But we can't leave until Winter is better." Qrow pointed out.

"I know. We'll depart as soon as she gets well enough. Let Ruby and the others know to be careful before they arrive here." Ozpin replied.

His eyes then glowed, transferring the soul control back to Oscar.

Oscar then began to talk with him quietly, questions buzzing throughout his mind.

"Will do." Qrow nodded.

He then looked over at Winter, who's tears has not ceased production.

Stepping closer to her bedside, moving to the right side of it with his steps, he stared at her as she was breathing less abnormally, her eyes still clenching tightly in pain.

He silently placed the tip of hid index finger to, from his perspective, the right side of her face, moving it gently up her cheek in an effort to wipe away her flowing tears.

At his touch, she tensed up, her breath halting momentarily.

He wondered if she knew that if was _his_ finger who touched and went one-third up the side of her face in an effort to wife her tears away.

After a brief moment, she bean to return to her former state of emotions, the crying continuing.

He wondered why her tears didn't stop.

He didn't know if he could stop them.

He sighed, mumbling "What nightmares?"

His voice, howe'er quiet, was faintly picked up by her ears against the noise of the machinery.

Aside from that and to occasional outside noise, the room was silent.

Qrow sighed, slowly and softly retracting his hand back to his side.

The tears on her face continued to fall as Qrow walked around, away from the machinery, moving to the left of her beside.

She grimaced, a cough coming from her body as she her eyelids shot open, her eyes glancing rapidly around, panicking.

"No..." She mumbled.

Qrow remained standing, muttering "So much for trying to fix things...."

Winter's eyes widened as she focused on Qrow, her tears streaming faster as she began to shake.

"Hey, what..." He trailed off, his eyes catching the glimpse of hers, which were rapidly opened, then opening and closing.

"Hey, Winter, calm down. The hydro didn't kill you....You're safe, now....I suppose..." He told her, his voice slightly on edge as she cried harder.

"Qrow....Not again.....not again...." She coughed, trying to control her emotions to no avail.

"Not again what?" He asked in both confusion and worry.

 _"I lost you..."_  She muttered.

"What do you mean about that?" He asked, a defensive tone suddenly enveloping him.

"You  _never lost_ me..." He argued, slight anger in his tone.

"It was your fault-" He began before she cut him off.

"No i-it wasn't! Shut up! I...agh..." She continued to crying, the shaking still continuing.

"Look, just..." He trailed off with a sigh.

"Y-You're....you've....you still hate me, I-I-" she grimaced before he cut her off.

"Why wouldn't I, Winter?! Seriously, I-" he began before he cut himself off.

He wanted to console her; seeing like this pained him to a deep degree.

However, he wouldn't let her see that.

He didn't want to fall prey to...the rushing rapids of the flood  of onset emotions and results that his comforting of her would bring, such as the remembering of their dance or whence they he comforted her- _so_  many years prior to this-upon James' airship.

He shook his head, turning away.

Winter noticed this slight movement, her shaking ceasing as she began to gradually calm herself.

"Qrow?" She cleared her throat.

"Yah?" He asked her, not turning to met her gaze.

"Look at me. Is it that bad? Anymore, I mean..." She asked him.

With the urge not to, he forced himself to turn his head, stepping closer over to the left of her beside.

Her face, from a brief distance and as he gradually approached, formerly containing spats of blood from impact spatter, was gone.

There was sadness and horror in her eyes, the fear bright and clear.

Qrow had never seen her like this, instead immediately tearing his eyes away from hers and onto her injuries.

The wound on her chest and the side of her left stomach, covered by bandages, was a light red, however-the bandages would need to be changed once again-soon, preferably speaking.

"Your wound is still healing. The doctors already performed surgery before delivering you here, so we'll have to wait a while. They may need to run some more tests on you." He told her.

She nodded, then looked down, her eyes lost upon the floor, scattering over the flooring as she began to pick up her thoughts.

"You....helped save me...." She murmured.

He nodded.

"Why?" She asked.

"I don't know." He sighed.

"That's....not a sufficient answer, Qrow. I-I asked you....why-" Winter began before he cut her off again.

"I don't know! You hear me? I  _really_  hate you,  _Ice Queen,_  but you're  _lucky_  I even  _care!_   You should be  _happy_  I still  _lov-"_  He snapped, growling before the words were caught in his mouth.

He cut himself off immediately, stepping back and averting his gaze.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"You still..." She trailed off.

 _"No! Shut up!_ _"_ He spat at her, venom coursing through his lips.

"Fine then." She glared, her voice growing lonesome.

"Fine." He sighed, viewing her with profound distaste, her eyes showing pure sadness and fear whence he could catch a glimpse of them.

"I'm sorry...." He trailed off, folding his arms and walking back over to the doorway, stopping a few inches to the right of his chair.

"I'm sorry too..." She mumbled faintly, just enough for him to pick it up.

He was flinching as the words seemed to attack him with needles from everywhere he heard his former lover's apologetic vocabulary and emotional sincerity.

After a few moments, Winter continued breathing quietly, having not all spoken that much, and Qrow kept silent, eventually sitting back down into his chair, his hands on his thighs, his head down in despair and regret of everything-all of the words that'd fallen forth from his lips.

"So much for making amends...." Oscar commented quietly with a sigh, looking on at the two. 

'Yes, Oscar, so much for that indeed.' Ozpin noted in the same sighing tone.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a new work with the help of Friend. If you want to check her our her Quotev is @EarthGrl and mine is @YouBelongHere


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